Ladies' Man
by Harry50
Summary: After the last battle, Harry finds himself sought after by many girls, but only one really has his love. Covers the time from the last battle to about a year later. Harry/Hermione/multi
1. Chapter 1 First night

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter stories or characters. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her associates. I only play with them for my pleasure, and hopefully yours.

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**Ch1: First****Night**

_May, 2, 1998_

It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining warmly, caressing the earth with its light and removing all darkness. The slight wind was just enough to keep the temperature comfortable and a handful of white fluffy clouds was decorating the deep blue sky. Below them, Hogwarts lay bruised and battered but not beaten, starting to recover from the battle that raged there during the night and the early morning, just a few hours earlier, culminating in the duel where the Dark Lord fell.

As much as Harry Potter longed to be in bed after all that he'd been through during the last day, this wasn't going to happen soon. After visiting Dumbledore's grave and banishing the Elder Wand into it, he was spotted by some of the Order members and practically dragged to celebrate his victory, despite his protests. Hours later, when even the most energetic of those present were already too tired to continue, somebody helped him to bed – he was too tired to even notice who it was, where he promptly fell asleep, clothes and all.

He woke up sometime later, to the smell of fresh food. Although he wanted to go on sleeping, having last eaten properly about forty hours earlier left him very hungry. He joined the improvised meal in Gryffindor common room, enjoying the tastes and the company: his two friends from "The Golden Trio" as well as Neville, Luna, Susan, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati and Padma. Ginny also stuck to his side as soon as she saw him. Harry was glad to see them all, although not all seemed to have gone through the battle untouched. Neville's hair was singed, Lavender had more holes than cloth in her robes and everybody seemed to have gotten a fair share of bruises and cuts.

As soon as his hunger was sated, Harry felt the need to wash all the battle dirt from his body. He excused himself to his friends and went to the showers.

Harry let the hot water flow over his body, cleansing his skin and his soul at the same time and relaxing his muscles. He practically jumped when he felt a pair of soft hands caressing his back. He turned around abruptly, covering his genitals with one hand and grabbing his wand with the other, only to see Ginny standing there, just as naked as he was.

"Ginny! What are you doing here? It's the boys' bathroom, you know."

Ginny didn't bother hiding anything. She seemed actually proud to show her naked body. Her pert tits looked like two white hills with rosy peaks; her tummy was flat and muscular and her pubic hair trimmed and shaved, leaving only a small red triangle to show the way to her clit. Ginny smiled seductively.

"There's no hot water in the girls' bathroom, so I thought you won't mind if I joined you." She didn't even try to make it sound true.

Harry wasn't sure what he could say. He knew she had a crush on him. He had also been her boyfriend for a few months and he kind-of promised to renew their relations once the war was over, yet he no longer felt that special feeling when he saw her. He even suspected it had never been a genuine feeling to start with. Could it had been induced by a potion? He didn't want to consider the possibility. Yet here she was, in all her naked glory, looking forward to taking a shower with him.

He could feel his body welcoming her even before he managed to say, "Feel free to join," as his face turned red.

Ginny had no hesitations. She pressed her naked body into his, not even pretending to be interested in the shower. Harry's mind somehow managed to function although most of his blood went south. He grabbed his wand tightly and said the contraceptive spell "_Otocium_", while Ginny was too busy to notice, smearing herself all over his body. Once done, he put his wooden wand aside. It was time to use the other one, as Ginny was clearly expecting.

"I've locked the door and put some silencing charms on it," she whispered in his ear, making her intentions even clearer.

It went quite fast afterward. Ginny was more than ready for him and he wasted no time on foreplay. He plunged in, noticing the lack of resistance on his way. He then let her set the pace, just enjoying the new feeling, as they had never gone this far with their relations, nor had he had such experience with any other girl.

Ginny knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. She climaxed quite soon, dragging him into his own climax. Her body kept him inside her for much longer, as she continued caressing his chest and his back, while Harry enjoyed fondling her breasts, until eventually they separated.

Ginny washed his back thoroughly, and then the rest of his body, as if he was just a baby. She let him do the same to her, ending in another quick shag before they finally got out of the shower.

"I'll stay here for another ten minutes, so nobody will notice we've been here together," Ginny offered. "I don't need Ron starting a fight over it."

Harry just nodded and returned to his bed. He removed his towel and crawled into bed, not bothering to wear anything. He hoped he would not have any nightmares of Voldemort, the battle or the quest. He fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

Harry was startled out of sleep as he felt somebody come into his bed, closing the curtains. He grabbed his wand. "_Lumos_". He saw Susan's ample breasts first. It surely wasn't the worst thing to see when awakened.

"Susan! What are you doing here?"

The buxom redhead seemed to know exactly what she wanted. "I just thought I'll grab my chance with you as long as I can. I'm not sure I'll be able to even come close to you starting tomorrow."

"But why?"

"You're a hero, Harry. Every girl would want to bed you and marry you. I have no illusions of marrying you, yet if I'm able to bear you a child, it would be wonderful. I'm the last of my family and I need an heir soon, although marrying is optional. Will you cooperate?"

She only wore a thin night-gown which she was removing while speaking. This was an offer he could not refuse. His hands went to her breasts while her hands went much lower, making sure he would do his part well.

Harry complied. He caressed and kissed Susan, paying special attention to her most prominent assets, before she found the right position and urged him in. Harry was somewhat reluctant. He hadn't heard any rumors of her being in relations with a boy and he was quite sure she was a virgin. He didn't want to hurt her, yet he didn't know how he could do what she wished (and by now he wanted it just as much) without causing her some pain.

Susan didn't seem to be bothered by these facts, though. She directed Harry between her thighs and then embraced him with her legs, practically shoving him in. He didn't have time to think about it before he found himself buried deep in her body, while Susan let a small cry escape.

She was much tighter than Ginny, he noticed, but that was just fine with him. He started stroking in and out, enjoying the feeling of being engulfed by her moist and warm innards. Susan seemed to also recover from her initial pain. She moved along with him, urging him to move faster and deeper until he could hold no longer and filled her with his sperm.

He didn't hurry to get out. He put his head on her breasts as his breath calmed down and then resumed licking and kissing them. Susan was also letting her inner muscles massage his flaccid member which was still inside her, resulting soon in another full fledged erection.

It didn't go to waste. Harry started moving and Susan also directed his hands to her pleasure spots, hoping to better enjoy it this time. Harry learned fast. Susan reached her climax, crying his name and shuddering all over. Harry felt thankful that he had silenced his curtains before they started, and then was thrown into his own climax, forgetting anything but the woman he was buried in.

Harry fell asleep with his head resting on her breasts after giving her the second portion of his essence, enjoying both acts even more than the ones with Ginny.

He woke up alone in bed when the sun was already shining brightly. He felt well refreshed, although a bit sticky between the legs.

A quick shower later, he put on some clothes which were left on his bed. He was quite sure it was one of the house-elves that did it, so he didn't stop to think about it. He went to the common room, where he found Hermione with a book in her hands.

"Good morning, Harry. Slept well?"

"Wonderfully," he smiled at her, noticing, not for the first time, how good she looked.

"Had any visits during the night?" she asked casually.

Harry blushed. "Two."

"Enjoyed them?" She smiled knowingly at him.

"Very, but now I'm hungry. Let's get some breakfast," he tried to change the subject.

"Sure. Breakfast is served as usual in the great hall, so I've been informed."

Harry didn't ask how she knew. This was Hermione. She always knew.

Hermione set her bookmark, closed her book and put it aside. She then looked at Harry expectantly. He took her hand in his and led her outside, going for breakfast. It felt so right holding her hand that he didn't even consider separating until they reached their destination.

The great hall seemed to be divided. One side housed many round tables where breakfast was served. The other was closed off. Harry didn't want to think what was hidden behind the partition. He chose to sit with his back towards it. Hermione sat at his side and they both started filling their plates.

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	2. Chapter 2 Letters

**2. Letters**

_May, 3, 1998_

They were just finishing the meal when a swarm of post owls came through the high windows. Some flew to different people around, but the majority flew towards Harry, covering the table completely, as well as a large section of the floor nearby.

Harry tried to take the mail from the closest owl, but Hermione slapped his hand away. "Don't touch it!"

"Why?"

"It may be a trap. Some death-eaters escaped and they might be seeking revenge. Then, there may also be those who would like to trap you into marriage contracts. I suggest we let Professor Flitwick check your mail before you touch any of it."

Harry knew better than to argue with Hermione. She waved her wand, collecting all his mail into a large pile on the table. She then enclosed it in a protective shield. "Don't touch any of it," she told Harry before stepping to the head table, to talk with the teachers.

She returned a moment later with Professor Flitwick following her. The diminutive professor waved his wand in some complicated motions, making about half the letters in the pile fly out of it. "The rest should be quite safe," he noted, "yet it's better if you let one of the house elves open them and read them for you, just to be safer. Don't answer any of the letters without letting Miss Granger check it for any verbal and judicial traps. Have a fine day, Mr. Potter."

He enclosed the removed letters in another shield and floated them out of the great hall.

Hermione conjured a large folder into which she put the remaining letters. The table didn't look appetizing after so many owls visited it. Harry sighed. "Let's find a quiet place to check this out," he suggested.

They ended up in an empty class near the Gryffindor tower. Hermione decided to sort the letters first. There were some official ones: from the Ministry, from Gringotts and from some representatives of foreign countries. Then there were those from known reporters. One was written with the infamous green ink used by Rita Skeeter. The rest, which was most of the pile, was from individuals. Hermione considered them the riskiest.

They started with the official letters. The ministry informed Harry that he was now the recipient of "Order of Merlin, First Class" which also came with a large sum of money. He would receive another letter with the details of the official ceremony once things would settle down.

Harry was somewhat apprehensive about the Gringotts letter, having broken into that bank only two days before. The goblins knew very well who the burglars were, and the little he remembered from his History of Magic about the goblins didn't give him reason for much hope. Hermione started reading the letter and a wide grin appeared on her face.

"What is it?" Harry asked, quite intrigued.

"Let me read it to you.

_Dear Lord Potter,_

_It is our greatest pleasure to tell you that you have recently got the ownership of two more vaults, both quite full, by right of conquest._

_The largest one used to belong to one Tom Marvollo Riddle. It contains several million galleons along with many precious artifacts. Many of these artifacts include some very dark magic and we recommend that you destroy that, retaining only their basic vessel without the magical properties. We'll be happy to supply this service at reduced fee, if you so require._

_The other vault belonged to one Peter Pettigrew. It contains no artifacts of value, and only about half a million galleons in cash, but it holds a large depository of documents, most signed by "The Marauders"._

_We are also sorry to inform you that we had to charge you a fee of one hundred galleons for breaking into a vault that didn't belong to you. Considering the circumstances of the break and the significance of the artifact you were seeking, we have decided that this token penalty should be enough to show our displeasure with the act._

_Due to the recent changes in your holdings as well as the changes in the economy, we recommend that you contact your account manager soon. This letter can be used as portkey for that matter. Just tap the Gringotts coat-of-arms at the top of this letter with your wand and say 'Gringotts' and you'll be ported to your account manager's office._

_May your enemies perish and your gold multiply,"_

She put the letter down. "I can't read the signature."

"Wow! They charged me one hundred galleons for a damage several orders of magnitude larger. I can't believe it!"

Hermione smiled at him. "You are probably one of their largest clients. They can't risk offending you."

"One of the largest? I own almost nothing! How can that be?"

"Harry, didn't you notice that they addressed you as 'Lord Potter'? This means you control at least one seat on the wizengamot, probably more. All the members there are from old and very rich families. You should have known that."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Well, I've been a bit busy the last seven years, you know."

Hermione slapped his arm playfully. "So, now it's time to catch up."

There were two more letters from Gringotts. "This one is to inform you of the reading of Severus Snape's will three weeks from now. It seems you are mentioned in it."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, yet considering what he'd seen in Snape's memories, maybe this should not have surprised him, he thought.

Hermione took the other, noticing for the first time that it was actually addressed to her. "Oh, I'm also invited to the will reading. I wonder why."

"Probably just to keep me company," Harry commented with a smirk.

"It could also be the other way round, don't you think so?" Hermione replied with her own smirk.

"We can then check my account as well," Harry noted.

"We? Why should I take any part in managing your accounts?"

Harry smiled at her. "You know I always need your advices. How will I do without them?"

It only took a moment for Hermione to think it over. "Oh, well. I believe I can manage..."

They now turned their attention to the reporters. It looked like each and every reporter in magical Britain was asking for an exclusive interview, some also offering to pay for the privilege. Hermione scanned them one by one, not even bothering to say a word, putting them aside with a disgusted look. She next took Rita's letter.

"Interesting..." she mumbled.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"She offers to become your press officer, as she can no longer work as a reporter due to my 'little intervention'. I think she may be quite good at such a job."

"What should I tell her then?"

"Meet her and let **her** tell you what she has in mind first. Then you could decide what to do next."

Harry took Rita's letter and set it aside, to be answered later.

This only left them the largest pile of letters.

Hermione sorted them into three groups: from people they knew, even if just slightly; from wizards; from witches. The last was by far the largest.

The first group contained letters from Greengrass, Abbot and several others. As Hermione started reading, she became furious. "These people treat their daughters as if they were goods for sale. They are offering their daughters to you in contract marriages. I'm sure they didn't even ask their daughters of their opinions. I'm sure Hanna would like to marry Neville, if at all, even if she's friendly with you."

She checked the rest of that pile. "They are all practically the same. Only differing in the names, the dowry and the bride price. What do you want to do with them?"

"I have no intentions to marry right now, even though I do plan to eventually marry and have a family. Just put them aside."

The letters from wizards came next. Some were added to the growing pile of marriage contracts, while the others made Hermione laugh and made Harry turn red with embarrassment and anger. "I've never shown any interest in homosexual relations. Why would they even offer?"

"Well, you were Dumbledore's protégé, weren't you?"

"So?..."

"He was gay, you know."

"Gay?"

Hermione could hardly hold her laugh. "He was a fag, a homosexual. Didn't you notice?"

Harry turned even redder. "It was the last thing on my mind. Why should I even care?"

"Well, some find it... interesting," she replied.

A few of the other letters were even more embarrassing. Witches were offering to have sex with Harry, trying to emphasize their attractive assets, many adding very revealing photos. "This is really disgusting!" Hermione said, throwing one such photo on the table. Harry looked at it. He didn't find it disgusting at all. He found it quite... arousing, really, but he didn't want to enrage his friend, so he said nothing. He just pocketed the photo along with some others. These could make even a boring evening into an entertaining one.

"Oh, no!" he heard Hermione gasping. Checking the letter she was holding he saw a photo of a naked woman. It could have been interesting, if only that lady had been at least forty years younger and about a quarter her current weight. Even Harry found it disgusting.

"What shall we do with these?" Hermione asked in a desperate tone.

"I'll keep all those younger than... thirty. The rest – well, I really don't think I should even answer."

Hermione seemed eager to get rid of all of them, yet she arranged them in two stacks. Once finished, she put all the letters into a folder with several compartments, keeping them sorted.

"Why do you put even the ones we have discarded in there?" Harry asked.

"None of us is knowledgeable in wizarding etiquette. You may have to act on some or all of these to prevent making yourself some new enemies. We'd rather be safe than sorry."

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	3. Chapter 3 Protector

**3. Protector**

By the time they finished checking all the mail it was almost lunch time. Hermione went to the library, as usual, while Harry went to his dorm and stowed the letters folder under his bed.

He was just going out of the common room when he saw Luna coming in.

"That lady is so nice. She let me in even without a password," she told Harry.

"What are you doing here, Luna?"

"Oh, I've come here to see you."

"Why, Luna?"

She grabbed his hand and put it around her waist, pressing her body into his, while putting her hand around his torso. Her hair was tickling his chin as she bent closer. "I just thought that I wouldn't like the Lovegood line to die. As I only know one man who really cares for me, I thought it would be nice to have some wild sex with him and produce an heir."

Harry was quite shocked. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. I've even checked for Nargles to be sure they didn't interfere with my decision. Now, where's your dorm?"

Harry felt almost bewitched, although Luna didn't use any magic. By calling him 'the only man who really cares' she just made him unable to refuse her. She continued hugging him as they climbed the stairs. She only let go when he closed the door of his dorm. She was naked before he even turned back, yet he saw no reason to complain. The skinny, weird girl had become a very attractive young woman, one he simply couldn't refuse. He was still staring at her naked body with admiration while she removed his clothes. "Where's your bed?" she asked.

He silently led her to his bed. "Just lie on your back," she asked him. Harry complied.

Luna climbed over him, straddling his waist, and started moving. Her wet folds were brushing over his erection, making it harder, while her small breasts were jiggling in rhythm. She soon grabbed his member and directed it into her opening and then started bouncing up and down, her tits bouncing along.

Harry could not stay idle any longer. He grabbed her tits and squeezed them a bit. He then fondled them, pinching her rosy nipples and eliciting a pleasure moan from Luna. Her pace quickened. Harry felt her inner walls convulsing around his member and could hold no longer. He let his semen rush into her waiting womb in several long sprouts, until she collapsed on him.

"Thank you, Harry. You're really a good friend," she told him, kissing him lightly.

It took them some time to regain their breath. Luna insisted on cleaning Harry, sucking and licking every drop from his body. Had he not been so spent, he would have shagged her again. She then helped him dress, as if he was a small child, and then she pulled her dress over her head and wore her sandals.

"I'll let you know if I need you to perform this again, although you're welcome whenever you wish to get some release," she told him.

Once they left the Gryffindor tower, Luna skipped happily towards the great hall, while Harry headed towards the library, to check on Hermione.

He found her buried in one of the large books. "Found anything interesting?" he teased her.

"Not particularly. Just the genealogy of some of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses," she said.

Harry raised a brow in question. She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I thought that checking these for you would help you better understand your position in the wizarding society," she explained.

"So, have you found anything I need to know?"

"I've just started, but I'm sure there will be a lot for you to learn."

Harry didn't feel as enthusiastic as Hermione about learning some more, although he felt he should know more about his ancestry.

They hardly left the library when they came face to face with two Slytherin girls: Daphne and Tracey. Harry's hand flew to his wand, but none of the girls looked hostile. Quite the contrary.

"Lord Potter, may we have an audition with you?" Daphne addressed him formally. Despite her composed expression, it was clear she felt very nervous.

Harry was bewildered. "You may just talk with me. Why do you suddenly act so formal?"

"It is a matter of most importance for us and it relates strongly to your position. It must be handled with all due formality," Daphne explained, still tense.

"Well, let's talk," he said.

"We need some privacy to conduct this business. An empty classroom would do." Daphne led them to a nearby door. The class was not in use, like most classes since the battle. Both girls looked at Hermione curiously, but said nothing when she stayed with them. Daphne closed the door and silenced it before turning back to Harry.

"Lord Potter, I hereby plead for your protection. If you agree to extend your protection over me, I'll do anything you ask in return," Daphne said, and Tracey repeated immediately.

Harry frowned. "What do you mean by 'protection' and what do you mean by 'anything I ask'? And please call me just Harry."

Daphne let a shadow of a smile appear on her lips. "Well, just Harry, a lord may decide to take anybody under his protection, making the protected practically part of his house. Any attack on the protected is then treated as an attack on a member of the house. Very few would be stupid enough to do so, as the wrath of a lord may extend over generation boundaries and haunt the offending party till the end of times. Now, as this kind of protection is a serious liability, the protected will normally become a vassal of the lord, or if that is unacceptable, will pay money for the protection or provide services required by the lord. As none of us has any money of her own, we can only offer our services."

Harry thought for a moment. "Why do you even need my protection?" he finally asked.

Tracey was the one who answered this time. "You probably know that both our families kept public neutrality during the war. Yet, we didn't just keep to ourselves during the battle. We are both untrained for battle but quite good at healing, so we went to the hospital wing and helped as much as we could. All of those we helped at first were naturally those who fought against the dark lord. Only after the battle was over we started getting patients from the dark forces as well."

She seemed a bit hesitant now. "We stayed there the first day, still helping. Then, when we returned to our dormitory, we were treated very badly. Some even sent us thinly veiled threats of rape and murder. We couldn't really sleep much during the night. One of us stayed awake, keeping guard on the other for half the night and then we switched, yet none of us could really sleep."

Harry noticed some wetness in her eyes, which also looked very tired. "So, you basically want me to protect you from your house-mates?"

"That's right. Once it is known we are under your protection, nobody in his right mind would dare to touch us, challenging 'The Man Who Conquered'."

Harry flinched at hearing this new title, yet it was clear to him that he just couldn't refuse. He glanced at Hermione and she nodded slightly. It was all that he needed in order to be sure it was the right thing to do.

"I'll take you under Potter protection. Is there anything I need to do to make it official?"

Daphne took a piece of parchment from her robes and put it in front of him. "Just read this out loud and the magic will do the rest," she told him.

Harry looked at the parchment and recited solemnly: "I, Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, hereby take thee, Miss Daphne Greengrass, and thee, Miss Tracey Davis, under my protection. Any action against you will be considered an action against the Potter house from now on. So mote it be."

Daphne now read from her own parchment: "I, Daphne Aurora Greengrass, accept the protection offered to me by Lord Potter. I will stay faithful to him and his house and will do my best to justify the protection given to me. So mote it be."

A flash of light appeared, momentarily connecting Harry and Daphne. Tracey repeated her oath, and a similar flash appeared between her and Harry.

"What now?" he asked.

"We should now move to your quarters and make it known that we are under your protection," Daphne told him.

"I have no personal quarters! I've been using the regular dorms until now."

"Then, it's about time you get your own private quarters, as you deserve by your position. Let's get lunch, and then we shall talk with Professor McGonagall to have it arranged."

Harry felt quite weird as he stepped into the great hall with Hermione on his right and Daphne and Tracey clung to his left. As expected, Ron was the first to comment about his two companions.

"What are these snakes doing with you?" he blurted as soon as they were close enough to hear.

"These two young ladies are now under my protection and you should treat them as nicely as you treat me," Harry informed him.

"What? They'll kill you the moment you turn your back to them," Ron insisted.

"They are both bound by their oaths; they will not do anything against me. I would advise you to think twice before you say anything to them. Insult them and you insult me by proxy. I don't think you would like the consequences."

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny, who was sitting near him, stopped him. "You should rather pay attention to Lord Potter's words," she told him.

"What's this whole 'lord' business?" Ron asked.

"I'll explain later," Ginny promised.

This exchange was anything but quiet, so the news about both girls being under Harry's protection spread fast. It reached McGonagall even before they finished lunch and she came to verify it.

"Harry, is it true that you've taken these two girls under your protection?"

"Yes, professor. They are now protected by the House of Potter, as is my right to declare, being Lord Potter."

The professor didn't need long to think. "You may then need to get your own quarters, I believe. Please come to my office after you finish lunch and I'll take care of it."

As Harry rose from the table, after finishing lunch, he noticed Luna sitting alone at another table. She seemed to be crying. He changed course and approached her.

"What is it, Luna? Why are you crying?"

She lifted her eyes to Harry. "It's really nothing. I should have already been accustomed to their teasing." She tried to reassure him.

Harry didn't take it. "Luna, nobody should make you cry. You don't have to tolerate this. You're a strong and powerful witch and a lovely lady as well. Why should they treat you badly?"

"It doesn't really matter. It will only take me a moment to recover. You need not bother."

"Luna, you're my friend and I care for you." He was suddenly struck by an idea. "You know, as Lord Potter, I can offer you the protection of my house to make you safe from harassment."

She looked at him unbelievably. "Harry, that's... too much. Such protection is a serious matter and should not be offered lightly."

"I know, Luna, but I also know that you've been suffering this way since you came to Hogwarts. You still have another year to stay here, and I want you to be safe. I'll do what's needed to guarantee it, even if it's not under the official oath of protection."

Luna jumped on him and hugged him for all her worth. "Thank you, Harry. I always knew how good a friend you are, and I'll do what I can to be worth your friendship."

"Well, will you join us at the new quarters I'm going to stay at as Lord Potter?"

"Gladly!"

Hermione looked approvingly at the scene, while the Slytherin girls were quite baffled. They didn't really know Luna, yet they knew she was close to Harry.

As the whole group was walking towards McGonagall's office, Harry made the introductions and explained the situation. It didn't take long for the professor to understand what they needed and assign Lord Potter a large apartment with several guest bedrooms besides the master bedroom. Kreacher was more than willing to lead them to their assigned quarters and to show them around.

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	4. Chapter 4 Shopping

**4. Shopping**

As they were checking the large sitting room, Hermione raised a question. "You've all heard that the funerals start tomorrow. I know Harry intends to attend each and every funeral, and I'm going to do the same. Will you be OK staying here?"

"I'll join you," said Luna.

"I'm not sure our presence would be welcome. Some may even consider it offending," commented Tracey.

"What are you going to wear?" Daphne asked.

Harry looked confused. "My clothes, of course."

"The same kind you're wearing now?"

"I don't have any other kind."

"Then you need to go shopping **now!** If Lord Potter appears at a funeral dressed like that, it will be a severe offense and may only cause you trouble."

"Why? What's wrong with my clothes?"

Daphne rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Everything! They're a few sizes too large, they look like rags and they just scream 'muggle!', to name a few of the problems. If you show up at a funeral dressed like this, it will show disrespect to the deceased and to his or her family, just the opposite of what you want to show, I believe."

"Well... I don't think I have money to buy anything now."

"I'm sure a short visit at Gringotts can solve that problem."

He looked at Hermione questioningly. She smiled back. He needed no interpreter to know that she actually agreed with Daphne.

"Well, if I must..." he said.

Harry decided to use his Gringotts letter as the fastest way to reach Diagon Alley. They all held hands and Harry tapped the letter with his wand, saying "Gringotts".

They found themselves in a large marble office in front of a well dressed goblin. He looked at them questioningly and commented in a bored tone: "I thought that discussing your accounts would be a private matter, Lord Potter."

Harry felt his cheeks heat. "Well, we've not really come here for that. I'd really like to know some more, but as I was informed, going to funerals in these clothes would be insulting, so I must buy a new wardrobe right now."

The goblin scanned him, noting the tattered clothes he was wearing. "Whoever told you so was right, yet I do believe you can spare a few minutes to just get to know the basics and give us a direction for handling your assets."

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and addressed the others. "Please go to Madam Melkin's and start selecting my new wardrobe, as well as some for you. We shall join you there shortly."

Luna just nodded and smiled. The others followed her out, still looking a bit confused.

"Now, what about this young lady?" the goblin asked.

"I need her here. I have no secrets from her."

The goblin then gave them a very brief overview of the Potter fortunes. Even that took him almost an hour, leaving both teens open-mouthed at the wealth Harry now had. Harry knew he would need more than a few days to come to terms with his new found wealth.

"I believe this would give you enough information until you have more time to go into the details," the goblin concluded.

"It's really more than enough," Harry confessed. "I need some time to digest this information, but right now I think there are three ladies waiting for us."

"I wouldn't go out like this," the goblin commented.

"What do you mean?"

"If Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Man Who Conquered, The Chosen One, appears in Diagon Alley, it would surely make a scene. If you want to avoid it, as I believe you do, then you should use some disguise."

Harry turned a questioning glance to Hermione. "He's right, Harry. Let me do some changes here."

She took her wand and said a few spells, changing Harry's hair to blond and lengthening it considerably, making his face much rounder and covering his scar with a glamor. She then transformed his clothes to something more fitting. The goblin looked approvingly at her efforts. He then added his own touch – a pair of large sunglasses replaced Harry's old eyeglasses and a golf cap appeared on his head, shading his forehead and his eyes.

He then turned to Hermione. "You are also too famous now. Let me do some changes for you as well."

He flicked his fingers, and her hair turned blond and straight, similar to Harry's, her face turned rounder and she was also wearing sunglasses and a golf cap.

"You can now go out safely, looking like siblings. Let me also give you this wallet," he said, giving Harry a small leather wallet. "It will always give you the right money for the situation, be it galleons, pounds or foreign currency, and it also contains a credit card to be used in muggle environment. You can use the wallet for up to ten thousand galleons a day. If that proves not to be enough we can raise the limit."

Harry was no longer surprised, after having heard how rich he was. He thanked the goblin and proceeded out of the bank.

There were no other clients at Madam Melkin's at that time. Hermione requested the shop to be closed for the group's private shopping and then removed their disguises. Neither Harry nor Hermione felt comfortable in their "borrowed" form and they were glad to return to their own familiar faces.

By that time, the girls had already accumulated a large stack of clothes for him to try. Contrary to his fears, they were very practical and helped him shop efficiently. Harry insisted on buying each a set of clothing suitable for the funerals, as he knew that Hermione and Luna would accompany him and he expected Daphne and Tracey to eventually join as well.

Daphne made sure to have several sets of clothing for him, each including dress robes of the finest quality, several dress shirts and a few assorted trousers. She made sure his house crest appeared on the dress robes and that some also carried the Black crest, Harry being now Lord Black as well. A few pairs of dress shoes rounded up their shopping at Diagon Alley.

They then went to muggle London and bought some casual clothes as well as two suits, suitable for muggle funerals. All of Harry's previous clothes were hand-me-downs from Dudley – none was fitting his new position. The girls didn't even let him stay in them once he bought some new clothes, making him wear a new shirt and new pair of trousers, discarding his old clothes in the garbage. They also bought him a few sets of underwear and then some for themselves. The girls insisted he would not join them for this part of their shopping.

He then treated them all to a nice dinner at a small restaurant, as it was getting quite late. Hermione noticed the glances their group was getting from other patrons. It wasn't a usual sight for a single boy to be escorted by four girls. They finally used the Gringotts portkey to return to Hogwarts, as the goblin had told Harry to do.

All their belongings were already waiting in their new lodging.

Hermione was surprised to find her things there as well. "I didn't ask for your protection," she said.

"Well, I've been protecting you ever since first year, just as you were protecting me. And then, we've been living in the same quarters for most of this year. I'm also sure you'd rather stay here in a private bedroom with its own bathroom than go back to the dorms," Harry told her.

She didn't argue. A private bathroom seemed to be right what she needed at the moment.

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	5. Chapter 5 Daphne

**5. Daphne**

Harry was sitting on his king-sized bed, getting ready for the night, when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened to reveal Daphne, wearing a sheer nightgown and nothing else. Despite trying not to stare, he couldn't refrain from noticing how shapely she was, how round and firm her pale breasts looked, with the slightly darker aureolas and the rosy nipples standing guard, and how nicely her pubic hair was trimmed, looking like an arrow head pointing towards her feminine opening.

Daphne smiled seeing his eyes roam her body. "Like what you see?" she asked teasingly.

Harry could hardly respond. "Well... of course... You look very nice, but I'm not sure it is proper for me to see you wearing... so little."

"Oh, that's no problem. I can readily remove it," she said, letting the nightgown fall to the floor, leaving her completely naked.

"This is not what I meant..." Harry tried saying, his eyes going almost out of their sockets, as he felt himself harden.

Daphne turned serious. "Please, Harry, I need you to have sex with me. This is just another part of the protection I need. You see, my parents are eager to set me into marriage, seeking the most beneficial contract; for them – that is. If you take my virginity, and better – if you make me pregnant, I'll become 'damaged goods', unfit for a marriage contract."

He tried to comprehend what she was saying, although what he was looking at was really distracting. "But... wouldn't you like to keep your virginity and only give it to the man you marry?"

Daphne smiled. "Very few still stick with that custom, especially since there are spells to recreate a girl's hymen, if needed. Yet I've always hoped it would be with someone special."

"Then why now? Why me?"

"I need to act now, before they trap me into a contract, and then – I believe I've found my very special man," she said teasingly, making Harry's eyes almost pop out, seeing her breasts wiggle a bit as she moved. He opened his mouth to ask some more, but could not make the sound go out.

Daphne understood, though. "You are my special man. I don't think I love you, yet, but you are the kindest and most considerate young man I've met. Others would have taken me to bed as soon as I asked for their protection. You treated me like a friend and a fellow human being and bought me some more clothes, as if I lacked any. You are rich and famous and a proven hero, which is more reason to want you, as you will probably find quite soon, and I think I'm falling in love with you. Isn't that reason enough to choose you for my first time?"

Harry was still too bewildered to answer, but she waited no longer. She stepped forward, pushing Harry into the bed, and removed his pants, revealing his erection.

She studied a bit what she saw. "It looks nicer than the drawings in the books," she noted, caressing his erect penis.

Harry could no longer think coherently, as Daphne continued touching and caressing, exploring his male anatomy. His hands were drawn to her body as well. She flinched slightly when he first touched her, but then directed his hands to where she wanted them: first to her breasts and then to her clit.

Harry didn't know what he was doing. He felt himself kiss her passionately at one moment and then suck her breasts and play with her nipples. After a while he found himself positioned above Daphne, whose legs were spread wide, urging him to enter. He couldn't refuse her at that moment even if his life depended on it. He plunged in, feeling a slight resistance midway. Daphne cried once, bringing him out of his frenzy, but then she smiled at him and urged him to continue. He did just that, kissing and caressing all the while and rubbing her clit at the same time.

Harry wasn't sure he could resist any longer. "It's close," he murmured, when suddenly he felt her walls grip him tightly, bringing him over the edge. He felt like he was sprouting a lot into her, yet Daphne didn't seem to mind. She cried his name loudly, hugged him and caressed him while she rode her orgasm for quite a while. Once it was over, they both fell asleep, holding each other.

Daphne was still in his bed when Harry woke in the morning. He was surprised to see her sleeping peacefully, half draped over his body, yet he needed the bathroom urgently. Moving as tenderly as he could, he almost managed to get free of her, but then she moved in her sleep, tying him even more tightly in bed. Harry could no longer wait. He moved out of bed a bit more forcefully and rushed to the bathroom, not even noticing that he had woken his partner.

She was sprawled in bed in a most seductive position when he came back. "Care to continue what we were doing before going to sleep?" she asked in an innocent tone.

Harry glanced at the clock. It was not yet seven and the first funeral – the ceremony near Dumbledore's grave – was scheduled for ten. He could use some cheering up before then.

He didn't answer; he just crawled over her, caressing and licking every area of skin he could find, and he could find a lot. It wasn't as passionate as their night shagging, but it was even more enjoyable, as Daphne no longer feared the pain of the first time.

Hermione was waiting in the apartment's common room when Harry emerged. "I thought I would wake you, but I could hear you were already busy," she noted, making Harry blush.

"Enjoyed yourself?" she asked.

"Quite, but now we need to eat breakfast and get ready for the funerals," he said.

"There's breakfast waiting for you in the dining room," Hermione said, pointing to another door. He could hear some talking through it.

As he entered the room he saw Luna and Tracey sitting at the table and talking quite amiably. Luna was telling about the battle at the DOM, at the end of Harry's fifth year, while Tracey was trying to understand the whole picture. She somehow couldn't comprehend how a few school kids managed to fight a group of Death Eaters and survive.

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	6. Chapter 6 Funerals part 1

**6. Funerals - part 1**

_May 4, 1998_

All those who were present at Hogwarts attended the mass funeral, Daphne and Tracey included. Several of the dead, mainly those having no family, were buried near Dumbledore, as fighting for Hogwarts gave them the rights for eternal residence on its grounds.

Harry was standing at the first row, alongside the interim Minister, the Professors and a few more dignitaries. Hermione stood at his side, with the other girls standing a step behind him. They were all wearing their official robes: Harry was wearing the ones with the Potter crest on his chest, while the others were wearing their Hogwarts robes with their house trimmings.

The Weasleys stood in a close-knit group at the other side of the front row. Harry noticed that Fleur still looked extremely beautiful and attractive even in her funeral robes. He also noticed that Lavender was standing close to Ron and Dean was standing close to Ginny. He hoped that Dean would win Ginny over, eventually, as the boy seemed really serious about her.

Harry was also requested to say a few words, which he found most difficult to utter. He only managed to say, "These were all brave people who fought for what was right and thus allowed it to happen. We all owe them more than words could say."

Hermione was also asked to say something, and she managed to be more eloquent than Harry, expressing everybody's feelings in a beautiful way.

Professor Flitwick approached them as they were leaving at the end of the ceremony. "Lord Potter, I'd like to inform you that the school has taken upon itself to scan your mail before delivery, just as I did yesterday. We've put a redirection charm to have all your mail received in a well protected room. Those items found harmful in any way will be sent to the DMLE for further investigation, as I did yesterday, and the others will be forwarded to you. Please make sure to be careful even with these items, as not everything can be detected by the scans."

"Thank you, Professor. I will," Harry responded solemnly. It was just too much, thinking of his own safety when he had just witnessed the burial of several co-fighters.

As they entered his apartment they found a pile of mail on the table, much larger than the one he had the previous day. Harry didn't even want to look at it, yet Hermione insisted. "Whatever there is in this mail, it's better if you know it. Ignoring it won't help you at all."

Begrudgingly he followed her to the dining room, as Hermione floated the mail with her wand.

"Do you mind if I join?" Daphne asked. "I may help you with wizarding etiquette, if you need it."

Harry just nodded.

Hermione repeated the sorting she had done the previous day. There were no official letters, but there were still many letters from reporters seeking an interview and some more offers for marriage contracts yet the number of letters from women seeking sex with him was astounding.

Daphne seemed concerned with the marriage contracts. "What are you going to do with them?"

Harry just shrugged.

"You can't ignore them, you must know. Ignoring is considered so rude, that by common courtesy it has been turned into agreement, so that if you do not respond within a reasonable time – a week or two at most – it is taken as agreement on your part. Even rejecting an offer must be done in very precise terms to avoid offending the other party."

"How am I expected to handle this?" he sighed, "I know nothing about any of these rules and I may turn up betrothed to half the feminine population of magical Britain!"

"That's why you have me at your side," Daphne told him. "Give me all the marriage contracts you don't want..."

"All of them!" Harry inserted.

"...and I'll write the formal responses. I may also need Tracey's help though. Once we write it, you only need to sign and we shall send them away." Daphne continued.

"That would be a tremendous help, really. I'll be very thankful for that."

"It's just what you should expect after having extended your protection over us," Daphne assured him.

"What should we do with the other letters, though?" he asked.

Daphne smirked. "Enjoy those whom you may fancy and beware of marriage traps. Some of those photos may become an interesting conversation topic if you show them to your dorm-mates."

"Why should I do that?"

"Those sending these pictures to just entice you for sex deserve no better. It is a different story with the marriage contracts. I'm sure most of these girls didn't pose willingly for their photos and these should be returned to them."

As Daphne was leaving, carrying the marriage contracts, Luna came in. She had already changed and was only wearing her flowery dress, which clung tightly to her body, making it very evident that she was wearing nothing else.

"Harry, you seem to need some cheering before we go to lunch," she said, grabbing his hand. Harry glanced at Hermione questioningly and she only nodded with a smile, making him understand it was alright with her.

Luna dragged him to her room. She vanished their clothes as soon as the door closed and pressed her body onto Harry.

"Come to bed," she whispered in his ear. "I'll make you forget all your worries."

Harry wasn't sure, but he did as asked. Luna caressed him and started spreading small, open-mouth kisses on his body. He soon responded with his own kisses on her erect nipples, on her delicate throat, on her lips, on her breasts and even on her clit, which elicited a surprised moan of pleasure from Luna. Encouraged by her moan, he continued kissing and licking at the same area, finding the points where she enjoyed it most, and was rewarded by additional moans.

His body didn't stay indifferent. As he continued teasing Luna and she continued caressing him, he felt his erection harden. Luna was already spread in front of him, her opening glistening with her lust. As much as he wanted to make it slow and tender, none of them was in the appropriate mood. They shagged wildly and passionately, kissing, hugging and caressing all the while, until they both climaxed almost simultaneously.

Luna cuddled at him as their breath was returning to normal. "I really liked it," she said, her lips tickling his ear. "I'd like us to continue doing it regularly no matter what."

Harry just smiled contentedly, his world momentarily consisting of only the young woman who was clinging to him and making him feel as if it was worth being alive. He kissed her lips tenderly. "You're my friend, Luna."

Daphne and Tracey were busy replying to his mail when he finally emerged from Luna's bedroom, and Hermione was sitting near them, looking through a book titled "Etiquette for Young Wizards and Witches". None seemed to pay any attention to him.

"Let's go have lunch!" Luna suggested.

Daphne raised her head from the parchment she was writing on and looked at Harry. "You should change," she told him.

"Why? What's wrong with these?" he asked, pointing at his clothes.

"You don't go to lunch in your formal attire unless it is a formal meal," she explained. "Just wear something casual; jeans and a t-shirt would do."

Harry's good mood, induced by Luna, lasted until they returned from lunch, when he had to change once more to go to another funeral. This time it was a muggle ceremony, so he didn't wear his robes, but he wore a dark suit with a black tie before joining Hermione, walking out of Hogwarts grounds and apparating to attend Colin's funeral.

The Creeveys seemed overwhelmed when he shook their hands in condolence, and were similarly impressed by Hermione. "You were both his idols," they said. "He wished he could be as brave and as smart as you two."

"He was a fine boy and he would have been a fine wizard, had these madmen not interfered," Harry told them.

They were among the last to leave after the ceremony. Harry felt mentally and spiritually exhausted. Although Colin had sometimes been a pest with his constant admiration, this was the first funeral of someone he knew personally and he had taken it to heart. He needed to be practically dragged by Hermione to reach his bedroom.

Tracey was already waiting there. "I knew you will be exhausted so I had a hot bath prepared for you," she told Harry. "Now, hop in!"

Harry didn't feel he had the energy to comply. Tracey understood. She helped him out of his clothes and he didn't even protest when she took off his boxers. She led him to the bath and let him soak a bit in it, before she took a sponge and started washing his body in caressing movements.

Harry was not really aware of her deeds at first. He just acted mechanically until the warmth of the water and the tenderness of the hand that took care of him reawakened his soul. He then started enjoying his bath. He could not remember when anybody had taken care of him like this and he was not going to let this new sensation be forgotten.

He became more aware of Tracey when she started to wash his genitals with the same tenderness as she used for the rest of his body.

"Don't worry. I used to help washing my young brother," she told him.

Harry turned his eyes towards her, noticing for the first time how her dark lashes were shading her brown eyes. His glance moved down, stopping on her red lips which looked quite kissable, and then to her pale throat and the bulges in her clothing a bit lower.

"I can remove what's in the way, if you want me to," Tracey told him.

She didn't wait for his answer. Before he could understand what was happening, she was already naked. Unlike her friend, she was shorter and had fuller form, which went quite nicely with her fuller breasts, yet her waist was just as slim. Her untrimmed pubic hair was the same dark brown as the hair on her head, and her eye-lashes were now trembling in anticipation.

"Do you like it?" she asked, not quite sure of herself.

It took him a moment to unglue his eyes from her body and look at her face again. "I like **you**," he said with emphasis, "and you sure have a nice body."

His body was also reacting to her, and she seemed to be relieved at the sight. "I hope you can do for me the same favor you had done for Daphne last night," she said, blushing quite a bit.

His bath forgotten, Harry rose out of the bathtub and embraced her in a tender hug, not caring for the water he was dripping.

Tracey seemed a bit surprised, but cooperated eagerly, hugging him back much tighter, pressing her tits onto his chest and her pubic area onto his throbbing erection.

"We should proceed into the bed," he told her after awhile.

She grabbed a towel and dried them both in a hurry. She then took his hand. "Lead me," she asked.

Harry led her to his bed and let her lay on her back, while he started kissing, caressing and licking. She was soon moaning in pleasure, trying to treat him the same all the while. Harry found her sensitive spot, hiding under her curls, and started massaging there, eliciting some more moans. It was soon clear that Tracey was as ready as can be for the next step. She opened her legs, making it easier for him to enter. Harry didn't hesitate, yet Tracey begged "Start slow, please."

He did as requested, stopping at the barrier. "It may hurt now," he warned her.

"I know. Just do it, please."

She cried once as he entered her fully. He waited for her to recover. A moment later she told him "You may continue now."

He moved slowly at first, making it a bit faster as she seemed to enjoy their rhythm, soon joining with her own movements. She didn't want it any faster, yet she urged him deeper and deeper, as Harry also continued enticing her sensitive spot. She reached her peak first, her body convulsing around his member, dragging him to his own high as well, giving her a nice quantity of his seed.

They lay silent for a while. Tracey put her head on his chest and his hand was idly playing with her nipples.

"It was all that I've ever hoped my first time to be," she then told him, "and I also hope it got me pregnant. It's the right time in my cycle."

Harry didn't understand her last sentence. He would ask Hermione, he thought. She would explain it to him.

Harry's mood had improved dramatically. They took a shower, caressing each other the whole time, and then got dressed and ready for dinner.

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	7. Chapter 7 Funerals part 2

**7. Funerals part 2**

As most of those who fought at the battle and most of the students had already left Hogwarts, dinner was a small, unceremonious event, which fitted Harry just fine. He then checked the schedule of the remaining funerals, making sure he could attend them all.

Harry noticed that the Weasleys had already left. "Don't you want to go and be with Ron?" he asked Hermione.

"He needs his family now and they need him. I would only be in the way. Besides, you seem to need my help much more."

Harry was not sure why, but he felt as if there was something more to this, something that Hermione didn't say, but he didn't know what that could be.

Harry was surprised to find Susan waiting for him as they returned from Dinner.

"How may I help you?" he asked.

"Can I move here?" she asked. "My home had been destroyed by Voldemort last year, and Hanna's family can't take me in now. I don't like staying alone in the Hufflepuff dorms either."

"I don't know if we have a spare room, but you're welcome to join. At most you'll have to share with one of the girls until we can find new quarters," Harry replied.

"Don't you know? Hogwarts will add accommodation as needed. I'm sure we have a room for her already," Hermione told him.

"How can you know?"

"It's written in..."

"Hogwarts, a History," Harry completed the sentence, gaining an elbow in his ribs and making the other girls laugh.

Sure enough, once they got in they found another bedroom ready and before they all retired to bed, Susan's trunk appeared at the foot of her new bed.

Harry wanted to hear some more of what had happened to his friends during his absence and Susan was eager to fill him in. Daphne, though, preferred to continue her task with the marriage contracts, feeling it was more important to rid Harry of them than to hear the stories.

A few minutes later, Harry was startled as Daphne cried "How dare they!"

"What is it?" he asked her.

"My parents! They sent you a marriage contract without even telling me. I knew they intended to make arrangements for me to marry somebody rich and powerful, but they had always let me feel as if my opinion would be considered before any such contract was offered, yet they sent you this..." she was waving the letter from her parents,"...and even added that horrible photo...", she clutched a photo of her wearing a swimsuit, being at least two years younger, "...without even bothering to tell me!"

"They could have felt it necessary to offer as soon as possible, before somebody else caught his eye," Hermione suggested an explanation.

"Would it be so awful to marry me?" Harry asked.

"It could be wonderful, had you been in love with me," Daphne answered, "but you're not and never will be, as far as I can see. I don't want to be forced into a love-less marriage, nor force you into one."

"My opinion exactly," Tracey added, holding her parents' contract proposal with the same disgust on her face.

"Are there any others we may know?" Susan asked.

"There are. Abbot, Brown, Vane, Spinnet, to name a few. Almost every eligible witch from fourteen to forty was offered to Lord Potter for marriage. Some even offered evaluation periods, so he could 'check the goods' before signing the contract."

Susan blanched at hearing her friend's name, yet felt thankful that having no living relatives to offer her in a contract, she was spared the humiliation.

"We should reject all the offers just the same. Whenever I marry, it will be with someone I love, someone I care for, someone I want to spend my life with, and not with some commodity offered for sale," Harry told the girls.

"We shall phrase the answers accordingly, but I also intend to write my parents a letter about the way they acted, that's sure!" Daphne said.

Tracey joined Daphne once again and they were busily writing the response letters, while Hermione and Luna found an interesting book to talk about.

"Would you help me set-in?" Susan asked Harry.

He looked around, unsure of the right answer, only to notice both Hermione and Daphne nodding encouragingly. "Sure, why not?" he said, following Susan to her room.

As he had already suspected, the help Susan wanted concerned two heated bodies mingling with each other. Susan was eager to repeat the act of that first night, and he wasn't really reluctant about it either. He was even glad to experience sex with the busty Huffelpuff when fully in control and not when awakened from deep slumber.

"I just want to be sure you made me pregnant," she told him while undressing. "Besides, I also liked it a lot. Even when half asleep, you were still tender and considerate. It's just right to let you fully enjoy it, while I'm eager to try it again."

Having already gained some experience and not being overly excited by her nudity, Harry made sure to give Susan utmost pleasure even before plunging in. His hands roamed her body, caressing and teasing all her sensitive spots, followed closely by his lips and tongue. He made her reach orgasm even before penetration. Susan thanked him by caressing his body with her ample tits and giving his manhood some extensive licking and sucking, before directing it to where she wanted it most.

Harry was engulfed by her moist tightness, enjoying it just as he had the first time. Susan was much more responsive, though. With no hymen to worry about, she moved freely, making Harry feel more of her with every move and letting her enjoy the act in ways she couldn't previously. They didn't rush it, though. Both wanted to get as much as possible out of their union. Susan was already enjoying sex as she had never dreamed possible. She was now hoping it would get her pregnant, if she wasn't already, and also hoping for many repeats, at least until Harry would find the one he wanted to settle with.

By the time Harry finished "helping" her, the other girls had already retired for the night.

Harry got ready for bed and then slipped between the sheets, ready for sleep. He was surprised to find another warm body in there. "Tracey! Why are you here?"

His question seemed to wake her from slumber. "I just thought I'd like to wake up besides you. Daphne said it was very nice," she mumbled, turning around and falling promptly asleep again. Harry didn't really mind. He spooned close to her and fell asleep feeling content.

The following days went quite the same. Harry and Hermione would attend two or three funerals each day, usually accompanied by Luna and Susan, and sometimes by Daphne or Tracey as well. They would return to the castle for lunch and then go to the afternoon funerals. Luna took it upon herself, and was soon helped by Susan, to cheer Harry at Lunch, while Daphne and Tracey did the same during the evenings.

Harry was surprised when the Patil twins joined. "Harry, we need your help," they told him at dinner, a few days later.

"What kind of help?"

"Our parents want to send us to India to get married to men we've never met before. We feel that's not right."

"But how can I help you? They're your parents."

"Take us under your protection. We shall pay with our virginity, making us unfit for that contract marriage."

"Won't that make me practically betrothed to you?" he wondered.

"Only if you want it. Virginity is a magically recognized price for protection and as such, no retribution is expected."

It was a no-brainer. Just having the opportunity to see these two gorgeous girls naked was more than worth it. Yet they also wanted to shag...

His quarters adjusted, just as Hermione said it would. Two additional bedrooms appeared, and the dining area was also enlarged.

The Patil twins didn't trust the Slytherin girls at first, yet were willing to help them with writing the response letters for the marriage contracts which kept arriving each day in a seemingly unstoppable flood. It only took a few days for the twins to warm up to the other girls and they soon became good friends.

Harry didn't rush consuming his new rights with the twins, yet they seemed very eager. Parvati, having known him better during their studies, was the first to invite him to her bed.

"I want you to destroy my hymen completely, making it impossible to repair," she told him.

"Daphne told me there are ways to restore it nevertheless, so she wanted me to make her pregnant, assuring her unfitness for a marriage contract," Harry told her.

"I hope I don't need to go to such extremes. There are ways to identify magically or surgically replaced hymen and the Indian magical community is very strict about virginity. My parents wouldn't dare fake my virginity if I tell them I've lost it."

She then started undressing in very sensual motions. She was still half dressed when her teasing made Harry as hard as he could remember ever being. Noticing his predicament, Parvati removed the rest of her clothes at once and cast the contraceptive spell on herself before starting to undress Harry.

He was entranced. Nude Parvati looked like an exquisite bronze statue, with perfect tits, perfect hips and a perfect, glistening opening just below an untrimmed triangle of black hair. She was simply delicious. Any hesitations Harry might have had would have vanished at the sight.

He made love to her with passion and tenderness, almost worshiping her perfectness. She didn't even flinch when he broke through her barrier. She just urged him to move deeper and faster until they both reached climax.

Padma repeated the same performance a day later. The only difference Harry could find was Padma's trimmed pubic hair, compared with Parvati's untrimmed. They even felt exactly the same once he was within. Had he not felt the barrier, he could have thought it was the same girl once again.

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	8. Chapter 8 Offers

**8. Offers**

Having taken a few girls under Potter protection was no secret, as making it well known was essential for the protection to be effective. This made some more girls seek Harry's protection.

One of them was Romilda Vane. "I want to come under your protection," she told Harry.

"What do you need protection from?" he asked the girl.

Romilda seemed suddenly unsure. "Well... I feel threatened by all the changes and... I thought you could give me a kind of anchor to feel safe..."

"That's not something I can protect you from. My life has even more uncertainties than most. How can I really help at that?"

She looked at her feet now. "Well, I hoped you would at least want to go to bed with me. I know you don't love me and probably never will, but maybe, if I could just be with you, I may then continue with my life..."

Hermione, who stood at his side, squeezed his hand. He didn't need more than that to understand. "I can go to bed with you just once, if you want, but I don't like taking your virginity for no real reason."

She blushed deeply. "You won't. I've already lost it, hiding from the Carrows after a DA activity. I'm not even sure who took it, due to the darkness."

Harry forced himself not to smile. "Fine. Come in and we shall have some fun together, and that will be all."

Romilda jumped with joy and hugged Harry, kissing his lips, not even minding he was still holding Hermione's hand.

As they came into his quarters, Harry saw an additional room which had just appeared. He asked Romilda to cast the contraceptive spell on herself and noticed that Hermione cast another one on them both before he led Romilda into the new room, leaving their wands on the table near the door.

As expected, he found a large bed there, covered with satin sheets. Several candles floated above it, giving soft, sensual lighting. The floor around the bed was covered by rose petals and some were also scattered on the bed. The room had a distinct smell which suggested lust and sex.

Romilda didn't wait. She removed her clothes as soon as she could without magic. She then helped Harry eagerly and practically dragged him to bed. Harry didn't think this was the best way to entice a man, but he was still a teenager, and Romilda was quite good looking and naked – he didn't need more than that.

Romilda didn't seem to care for foreplay. She spread her legs and pleaded Harry to enter. Harry took his time, though. He teased her nipples with his fingers before sucking on them, and then continued by cupping her breasts and enjoying their fullness. He caressed her belly and tickled her navel, reaching further to her clit. Romilda started moaning louder. She lost her patience now. She grabbed his manhood and directed it into her waiting entrance, pushing him in with her legs.

Harry kind of expected this. He actually enjoyed teasing her, but entering her was even better. He soon found a comfortable rhythm, pumping into Romilda deeper and faster as he continued, all the while paying attention to her clit as well. It didn't take them very long to reach their climax. Romilda got there first, due to the help from Harry's fingers, and he followed suit.

She kept him in for as long as she could. Harry was thankful for Hermione's insight. He was quite sure that the contraceptive spell Romilda had cast was not done effectively, yet he could trust his loyal friend to make sure nothing would come out of this shagging.

Harry, who had already been quite tired after the funerals of that day, fell promptly asleep, still lying on top of Romilda. She was actually quite comfortable to sleep on, he managed to think before slumber took him.

He woke up about an hour later. Romilda was hugging him, still in the same position. He could see tear traces on her cheeks, but thought better than to ask about them. They used the adjacent bathroom to clean themselves of any residue of their former activity and then put on their clothes.

"Thank you, Harry. I'll cherish this night in my heart for as long as I live," Romilda told him.

Once out of that room, she turned to Harry, kissed his lips for the last time, grabbed her wand and left promptly.

"It took you long enough," Hermione commented.

"I was asleep most of the time," he said apologetically.

"Enjoyed it?"

"Some." He didn't really feel like talking about it and Hermione didn't press.

Surprisingly, Pansy also asked for protection. She followed the group one evening after dinner.

"Lord Potter, I wish to be taken under your protection," she said formally.

"What do you need protection from?" Harry felt really curious.

"I've been threatened lately by some students and parents. They said they would make sure to put me in Azkaban."

"And why would they do that?"

Pansy seemed to squirm under his gaze. "Well, I've been assigned a disciplinary role this year, and some who didn't agree with the rules seek revenge on me."

"She's been using Cruciatus on other students, as part of the Carrows' discipline squads," Susan told him.

Harry raised a brow. "Were you forced into that position?"

Pansy didn't seem to want to answer, yet Daphne could tell them. "She volunteered to the squads and enjoyed taking part in them, much more than most other members."

Harry looked at Pansy. "Is that true?"

She didn't dare look at him now. "It is," she said, looking at the ground. "I hoped it would raise my status and make me more attractive for Draco."

He didn't need much thought to decide. "I'm sorry, Pansy, but I can't protect you against justice. You've never been nice to any of my friends and wanting Draco's appreciation is a very poor excuse for your behavior. I don't know if you deserve being in Azkaban, I doubt anybody does, but you should stand judgment for your deeds and face the consequences, whatever they may be."

Pansy's face fell. She seemed to be forcing herself not to start crying, yet she tried once more. "Will you shag me, at least? Maybe then you will change your mind."

Harry was practically disgusted by her offer. "Why should I even consider that? I have more offers for sex than I care to fulfill and I already have several charming ladies who make sure I lack nothing in that area. Why should I even be interested in Malfoy's sloppy seconds?"

Pansy could hold no longer. Her eyes swelled with tears and she started sobbing uncontrollably, yet none of the girls seemed to consider offering her some help, and Harry couldn't blame them.

"Kreacher!" he said loudly.

"Master called?" the elf appeared instantly.

"Can you escort miss Parkinson here back to her dorm or to wherever she would like to go and calm down, please?"

"Kreacher can do that for master." He turned to the crying girl and held her hand surprisingly tenderly. "Please come, miss," he told her. Pansy didn't look at any of them. She just grabbed Kreacher's offered hand and left.

Harry felt bad about rejecting Pansy, although he was sure she deserved any punishment which she would eventually get. He just felt bad for letting someone suffer, even if that person didn't deserve any better. It took the combined efforts of Susan, who cradled his head on her breasts, and Daphne, who caressed his body, along with some soothing words from Hermione, to calm his feelings enough to be able to join Tracey in bed, where all nagging thoughts just vanished, as they made love passionately.

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	9. Chapter 9 Dear Ones

**9. Dear Ones**

Fred's funeral was the hardest to bear. The Weasleys had become like his own family since Harry first met them, and the twins were the living soul of that family. With Fred gone and George dispirited, it seemed like they were almost zombies, going through the movements, but without any life in them. Hermione stood at Ron's side throughout the ceremony and Harry tried comforting Ginny. Now, that the excitement of the battle was gone and only the pain and hurt remained, both siblings seemed almost different persons than the ones they had always known.

Most of the Gryffindor sixth and seventh year students were present, as well as many of the alumni. Angelina and Katie held George between them, although they were crying harder than he was. Harry noticed Dean standing close to Ginny and Lavender hugging Ron from behind all through the ceremony. He hoped Hermione didn't notice.

Harry had already practiced his standard eulogy, after participating in several funerals, but it was especially difficult saying anything this time. He finished talking with tears flowing down his cheeks. Both Luna and Susan hugged him, giving him the energy to keep going on.

Mrs. Weasley approached him as soon as it was over. "Harry, dear, why don't you stay with us? I'm sure Ron and Ginny would enjoy your company very much and it would be a bit of comfort."

"I'd really like that," he said, "but I'm now responsible for several ladies who asked for my protection. I can't just leave them alone and I can't bring them all here to stay. It would prove an unacceptable burden."

"Oh, don't mind the burden. We have enough to feed as many as you can bring, especially since the goblins let me know that all of Bellatrix's fortunes are now mine by right of conquest. We may have a problem lodging them, though."

"And a few are ex-Slytherins, making them less than welcome here," Harry pointed out, making Molly cringe.

"Well, maybe a bit later, after things settle down," she said. Harry felt that she was actually reconsidering his position with the family taking this new fact in account.

Hermione hugged him as soon as they left the Burrow. "She's awful, that woman. So prejudiced! I don't understand how we could bear it until now."

"We were just children. We didn't know better," he said.

"We should have!" she insisted, burying her head in his chest.

Harry didn't understand why, but this gesture raised his spirits more than shagging any of the other girls could do.

Another painful funeral was the one for Nimphadora and Remus Lupin, who were buried together near the resting place of Ted Tonks. Andromeda was devastated, being kept on her feet by leaning on some members of the Order and with the help of several potions. Harry was surprised to see Narcissa Malfoy standing at her side, trying to comfort her as well, despite being escorted by an auror.

Harry was most touched by the sight of Teddy. The three-months old baby looked curiously at the people assembled around him and even seemed to enjoy the attention. He could not know that he would not see his parents ever again.

As in Fred's funeral, Harry cried when saying his eulogy. This time he was comforted by Daphne and Tracey, who decided to pay last respects to their previous professor. Hermione also joined the group hug, surprising Harry quite a bit. She didn't usually show her affection in public places.

They stayed the last after the ceremony, intending to help Andromeda home, but were somewhat surprised to see her recovered, probably due to the potions. "Harry, Hermione, you are Teddy's godparents. Please make him part of your lives. He will need role models and I'm no longer suitable as such."

"We shall do our best," Harry promised. "I'll take him home with me a few times a week once I have a home."

"I'll do the same," Hermione promised, "and I'm sure we shall both visit him as much as possible until then."

"Thank you, dears. This is all I can expect from you."

This conversation made Harry think. Hogwarts was already closed officially and would only reopen at the autumn. He could probably stay there indefinitely, if he asked to, but that wasn't the right place for him to live. He had been told at Gringotts that he owned several houses, but the only one he knew about was the one at Grimmauld Place, yet it was not much more than a derelict. If he wanted to live there, and especially if he wanted to give shelter to all the girls he had taken under his protection, he needed to clean and renovate that old house.

"Kreacher!" he called.

"What may I do for my great master?" Kreacher asked as soon as he popped in.

"How long will it take you to clean Grimmauld Place and remove all the dark creatures and pests that made it their home?"

Kreacher needed a moment to think about the answer. "It will take three or four weeks, Master, but some of the evil magic in there will have to be dealt with by curse breakers; Kreacher is not able to do it."

"You can hire some help and the Bones house-elves will also help, as Susan promised. Will that shorten the schedule?"

"Yes, sir. With additional help I can make the house ready in less than two weeks."

"I also want you to take down Mrs. Black's portrait. You may keep it in your room if you want to," Harry told the elf.

"Kreacher has no room," the elf informed him.

"Then we must correct this. Is there any particular room you find suitable for yourself?"

The elf seemed too stunned to reply.

"Would the attic be suitable? You may partition it and build yourself a small apartment there, if you want to," Harry suggested.

"Thank you, kind master; Thank you; Thank you; Thank you; Kreacher will make a room there, just a small one would suffice. And bring the old Mistress' painting there."

Harry was actually annoyed by the thanks. It was the least he could do for the old elf. "You should also take down the other portraits. I'll have them sorted and repositioned once I come to live there."

"Thank you, master. May I start now?"

Harry was surprised by the elf's eagerness. "I believe you should rest for the night and only start in the morning. Use whatever money you need from my vaults."

"Kreacher has enough money put aside for that matter but master's money may be needed for the curse breaking."

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	10. Chapter 10 Meetings

**A longer chapter this time. Enjoy!  
**

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**10. Meetings**

As suggested by Hermione, Harry sent Rita Skeeter a letter asking her to meet him after the last funerals, to discuss her offer of acting as his media officer. He let Daphne, who was becoming his social secretary, handle the details.

Harry set the meeting in a muggle restaurant that had private rooms, quite suitable for discussing business and other matters that needed some privacy. Staying in muggle area also assured him a certain amount of discretion which could not be attained in magical environment. He chose to meet Rita with Hermione, or "my brain", as he fondly called her. He also asked Daphne to be present, as she seemed to be very keen in all nuances of wizarding life.

Rita arrived punctually. She was dressed in what looked like a dark green designer's business suit and wore elegant yet simple eyeglasses, very unlike the image everybody had known as "Reporter Rita". She actually fitted quite well in the business environment, Harry and the girls were also wearing business suits. Harry's was dark gray while the girls' were lighter shades of gray with just a hint of color in their blouses.

Rita seemed a bit surprised at seeing Daphne there but was smart enough not to comment about it. She wasn't surprised to see Hermione there. After knowing of their long friendship and suspecting a bit more, it was just natural to see her at Harry's side.

They first ordered their meal. Hermione had to help Rita choose, as some of the portion names were not familiar to the reporter, not being used in the magical cooking.

As soon as the waiter left, Harry asked, "Why do you offer to be my press officer? What's in that for you and why should I accept your offer?"

Rita didn't even raise a brow at the direct approach. "You all know I've been working for many years as a reporter. It was quite a good living until my secret was discovered and I was forced to quit." She was glaring at Hermione when she said this, but the latter seemed indifferent.

"I had to write books instead, but these couldn't give me the same standard of living I've been accustomed to, and then the war took away my drive to meddle with others' lives, showing me just how fragile our hold on life is. Yet I need a living and I know all the tricks of the trade. I can make sure that things you want known are published most effectively and things you don't never reach the printing press. I can help you advance any projects you want, using both my knowledge of the media and the connections I've been cultivating for many years."

Harry was still looking at her with undecipherable expression. This made her a bit nervous, yet she stuck to her plan. "I know I've not been very nice to you two, most of the time," she motioned at Harry and Hermione, "but that was caused by a lot of pressure from the minister at that time. He saw you, Lord Potter, as a threat and forced the media to distort your image to suit his purpose. Miss Granger, being your close friend, had to suffer some of the brunt as well. I'm really sorry for that, yet it seems like the readers liked my articles best when I acted nastily. Had I been nice to you they would not have been interested."

"Why do you think you can make them want to read 'nice' articles about Harry or about me or any of his other friends?" Hermione asked.

Rita smiled, making Hermione guess that the woman had already thought about this question and had her answer well rehearsed. "Once people knew that Rita Skeeter is a sarcastic bitch they wouldn't accept any other style, yet I can write under a different pseudonym. I've tried it a few times before. It was even refreshing to be positive about things, but the editors wanted me to write differently."

The first course was served, pausing their conversation for a few minutes. They soon continued, although the atmosphere warmed a bit.

Hermione asked most of the questions, with Daphne adding a few as well, while Harry only listened. It was only after dessert when he talked again. "Fine! I believe you are well qualified for the post, but I'm not yet sure if I can trust you. My past experience has left me with a very bitter taste about the media in general and about you in particular. If I am to accept you into my service then you'll have to take a vow to assure your loyalty and your truthfulness. Once you take that vow we can negotiate the terms and set the schedule. Will you take the vow?"

Rita looked a bit ill at ease, but nodded her agreement. Daphne took a parchment out of her handbag and unfolded it, showing Rita the exact text of the vow. It was expertly crafted to block all loopholes and assure that everything was covered. Rita blanched a bit when reading it, but then swallowed hard and asked "Do you want me to take the vow now?"

"Only if you want to. I can give you another day for thinking about it, if you want, but that vow is necessary before we can proceed. I'm sure you understand why," Harry told her.

Rita only thought for a moment before answering "I'll take it now, if you don't mind."

She read the parchment once more and then stood up, raised her wand in the air and recited the text loud and clear. Once she finished her vow, a silvery mist came out of her wand, covering her in a shining sheet that soon seemed to be absorbed into her body, leaving no visible residue.

Harry smiled at her now. "Well, I believe you can discuss the details with these two fine ladies. I trust them to keep my interest in mind and also be fair to you."

"Of course, Lord Potter," Rita replied.

"You may just call me Harry unless it is an official occasion," he smiled at her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some other things to tend to. I'll just pay the bill and make sure you can stay here for as long as you need to finish your discussions."

He bowed graciously towards the ladies and kissed the hands of each before leaving the room.

While the ladies continued their business meeting, Harry headed for another kind of meeting. Although he didn't lack sex, the letters he had received intrigued him. He enlisted Kreacher's help to contact a few of the senders, those who looked most attractive in the attached photos. Now he was heading to meet one of them.

The young woman was waiting exactly where he asked her to wait: in the middle of a very busy shopping mall, in front of a computer shop. It wasn't difficult to recognize her as she seemed quite out of place, although she was wearing muggle clothing. She seemed to be frightened by every bit of technology around: the moving banners, the large screen displays, the PA system which kept announcing about various sales. She was also the only one of her age not holding some kind of electronic instrument.

She seemed relieved as she saw him approach and her face soon sported a large smile. "Oh, Harry! I was afraid I would miss you in this multitude! Why have you insisted on meeting at such a horrible place?"

"Good afternoon, Janice. I've heard most women liked shopping, so..." he didn't finish the sentence.

"I thought we wanted something quite different..." she reminded him teasingly.

"Well, of course. There's a shop here where we can buy contraceptives and then there's a small hotel across the road..." he said suggestively.

She blushed only slightly. "We can skip the contraceptives. I'm on potion, and I can also use the contraceptive charm if you want to be extra sure." She said the last sentence in a hushed voice, although Harry was sure nobody could hear her even from two paces away in the din there.

Harry led her out of the mall and stopped between two parked lorries. "Give me your hand. I'll apparate us both."

They soon found themselves in a small cottage surrounded by a seemingly infinite grass field. Janice didn't waste her time. A minute after arriving she was already naked and was busily attacking Harry's clothing.

"Why do you wear so many clothes?" she complained.

"Sorry, I had an important business meeting," he said, just as busy letting his hands explore her body.

Janice managed to get Harry naked before they reached the bedroom. She pushed him to the bed and straddled his hips. "Do you mind if I'm on the top?" she asked him.

"That's quite fine with me," he said.

They didn't talk much. Janice, despite her bravado, wasn't very experienced, yet was very enthusiastic. She tried different positions until she found one she liked, in which Harry felt he was going deeper into her than he thought possible. He couldn't think much, though.

Their movements hastened, yet Harry didn't mind. While Janice was certainly attractive and quite pretty and his body was enjoying her, he felt almost nothing. His in and out movements reminded him of a sewing machine he had once seen. Yet his body did like it. The slick, warm tunnel around his erection felt wonderful, and the ripples of her muscles took him closer and closer to his climax. Not wanting to disappoint her and damage his own reputation, Harry started massaging her clit as he was nibbling at her tits. Janice's moans turned soon into screams as she reached her peak. A few more in-out movements brought Harry to the peak as well. He felt thankful it was over.

Janice hugged him tightly as her orgasm subsided. "Thank you, Harry. You are my first," she whispered in his ear.

"Your first?" He didn't feel any resistance going in and she surely didn't seem to feel pain.

"Well, yes. I used my brush handle to break my hymen as soon as you agreed to meet me, so that it would be perfect. And it was!"

She started kissing him all over. It was quite nice being kissed this way, but it was a bit unnerving, because as much as he enjoyed their physical contact, it was severely lacking. Her kisses meant nothing to him; her body could just as well be a doll, and her emotions didn't really interest him, yet he didn't want her to notice his feelings, or the lack of. He mechanically caressed her and felt her tremble at his touch.

They stayed that way a bit longer, as their breath calmed down. Janice clung to him as if he was her link to life and her warm and soft body had a calming effect on Harry.

He woke up, feeling a bit sticky and with some light-brown hair tickling his nose. It took him a moment to register his environment and remember the shagging he took part in. Janice was looking at his face admiringly, her brown eyes trying to get all the details and record them for eternity in her memory. Noticing he was awake she caressed his face and then said, "I'd like us to do it once more."

Harry looked at her again. She was really beautiful, with long straight hair, brown eyes, which he forcefully refrained from comparing to some other eyes he loved so much to look at, perfect neck and shoulders, large, firm breasts, yet not too large, slim waist, trimmed pubic hair and that delicious slit between her inviting long shapely legs. Just a few weeks ago he would have considered her a dream come true, yet now he found her lacking in a way he couldn't even explain. He wasn't in love with any of the four expecting mothers, but he had feelings towards them. He had no feelings towards this young woman, and it bothered him.

"I don't think it is a good idea," he told Janice. "It should better stay a one-time experience, so you'll cherish it more."

He saw some wetness in her eyes, but she nodded understandingly. He furtively checked the bedside clock.

"Let's clean up and I'll take you back," he suggested.

A few minutes later he deposited her at the entrance to the mall.

"I'll always cherish our meeting," Janice told him. She then kissed his lips tightly, turned around and ran away. Harry looked for a safe place for apparition and then disappeared.

Harry was tackled by a bushy haired missile as soon as he set foot in the entrance hall. Hermione hugged him tightly, tears of relief in her eyes. "Oh, Harry! We've been so worried about you! We tried searching everywhere but you just disappeared for hours on end."

She released her hug only to check him over at arm's length. "At least you seem to be alright," she noted after a moment. Her face was changing now from worry and relief into rage.

"Where have you been all this time? You could have been in danger and nobody would have been able to help you, not knowing where you went."

Harry tried to calm her with his smile, but she was in no mood for such frivolities. "Harry James Potter – you are not above being spanked by me if you don't give me a full answer **NOW**!"

She looked extremely scary and her wand was emitting red sparks. He knew he should be on his best behavior or he would be hexed very painfully.

"I only met one of those girls who wanted sex with me," he said meekly.

"You should have told me or one of the other girls here," she said. She still looked furious, yet Harry could also discern some hurt in her eyes. It made him even more worried than her rage.

"It was absolutely safe, really," he tried convincing her. "We met at a muggle mall and then I took her to a warded place. Nobody could have followed us and I didn't tell her where we were."

"She could have had tracing spells on her. Somebody could have been holding her hand, staying invisible with a cloak or a spell and..."

Harry raised his hand to stop her. "The wards would have removed any tracking spell and stopped anybody with ill intentions from coming in, including that girl. These are intent based wards, cast by my ancestors and maintained by the Goblins."

"Well, you still had to tell us. I was so worried..." Hermione could no longer hold her tears. She collapsed on his shoulder, sobbing her frustration and her anguish. Harry held her for a few minutes and then led her gently to the sofa, where he sat with her, patting her bushy mane and whispering comforting sounds in her ear. He could hear "I was afraid I've lost you," mumbled in between sobs.

It took Hermione almost half an hour to calm down. The other girls assembled around, caressing her and trying to comfort her as well. Daphne and Luna even gave Harry a dirty look, making him wonder how badly he had hurt his friend.

Eventually she stopped sobbing. Then, noticing she was still leaning on Harry, she sat upright again and moved a bit, putting some distance between them, before going back into her interrogation.

"Where did you take her?"

"It's a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. It was used as a hunting lodge and has been all but abandoned for almost a century. I found about it in the documents we had taken from our vault." He didn't notice the wrong phrasing.

"We took many documents from **your** vault, but I thought you've shown me all of them," she frowned.

"Oh, I'm sure you've seen it, but paid no attention. It is only big enough for a couple with possibly a guest or two and has no facilities needed for our whole group."

Hermione was still frowning. "I want to see it, to be sure you are safe there."

"Whenever you wish..." he said with a smile.

"**Now!**"

"OK, fine... I'll take you now." He led her outside, held her hand and apparated.

They returned about ten minutes later. Hermione seemed to still be angry at him, but Harry was relieved. She approved his security measures and agreed it was safe enough for the occasional shags, yet she still seemed a bit hurt.

"If you insist on using that place, fine, but you must tell one of us whenever you go there, just in case," she said to him.

"OK. I've also added you to the ward permissions, so you can always check on me. That should help reduce your worries."

She smiled bitterly. "I always worry when I can't see you."

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	11. Chapter 11 Going Home

**11. Going Home**

_May, 18, 1998_

With the funerals over and the school going through major repairs, Harry felt it was unwise to continue living in his quarters there, especially since Kreacher informed him that the house at Grimmauld Place was ready for living in.

While Harry could stay at Grimmauld place indefinitely, the girls were getting worried about how their parents would react to the new situation. Neither Daphne nor Tracey had told their parents the whole story and they weren't really ready to do it now without the support they had been getting from Harry and from the other girls. The Patil twins had a similar problem, although they used the contraceptive spells regularly, so they were quite sure they were not pregnant.

Luna didn't have these problems, though. Her father was still recovering at St. Mungos from his torture at the hand of the Death Eaters, yet she was sure he would like the idea of her bringing him a grandchild. She was visiting her father regularly and was glad to see daily improvement in his condition, although he was still barely recognizing her.

Hermione was also debating with herself what to do. She wanted to sit for her NEWTs, as she would have done had it been a normal seventh year, yet she missed the whole school year. This wasn't really a problem, according to Daphne and Susan. The other girls were more than willing to help both Harry and Hermione catch up with the school material, especially since they had to do almost the same as there was not much learning going on while the Death Eaters managed the school.

The NEWTs, as they had been informed, were delayed to the last week of August, to let the students who wanted to take the exams compensate for the time lost during the war.

Susan's only problem was rebuilding her old home, but as she had also put down a few Death Eaters, money was not a problem. She could actually live in one of the other two houses owned by her family, yet she preferred staying with Harry and the other girls.

Hermione advised Harry to start with the tougher problem, namely – the Greengrass and Davis families. Daphne used the Floo to call home and set a meeting the next afternoon. She then spent the night with Harry, just to get all the comfort she could get before the meeting.

Harry asked Hermione and Luna to join him and Daphne for their meeting with Daphne's parents. They used the Floo for traveling. Daphne had already taught Harry the trick to exit the Floo in a dignified way, so he wasn't so apprehensive of this form of travel anymore.

Harry made sure to be dressed in his formal dress robes, carrying both Potter and Black coats of arms. Daphne wore her dress robes from school. Hermione and Luna dressed formally as well, using the magical version of business suits.

Harry stepped first into the Floo, followed by Hermione, Daphne and Luna at that order. The Greengrass parents were surprised by the arrival of the two additional girls, but acted as if they were expected.

Daphne made the formal introductions. "Mom, Dad, may I present to you Lord Harry James Potter-Black and my friends Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood." She then hugged her parents tightly and was hugged by them just as warmly. It was the first time they met her since the last battle and her parents were eager to look at her and reassure themselves that she was unharmed.

A few minutes later they were all assembled in the drawing room. The house-elf served them tea and biscuits and they engaged in small talk for awhile, just making everyone feel more comfortable before engaging in the serious talk.

"So, Lord Potter-Black, I assume you didn't come here just for idle chit-chat," Mr. Greengrass started the more official part of the meeting.

Harry felt both Hermione and Daphne pressing his hands in encouragement. He was sure Luna was pressing Daphne's other hand as well. "Lord Greengrass, as your daughter has already informed you, I assume, she has asked for my protection a day after the battle. She was threatened by her house-mates and felt she needed protection, as did a few other girls."

Daphne's father didn't seem to like this and her mother paled considerably. He knew that Daphne hadn't told her parents the whole truth.

Harry continued. "Understanding that her life was endangered, I readily agreed to protect her, yet she wanted a bit more than just a promise given in the corridor. She wanted to go for the full magical protection oath."

Her mother bit her lips, to keep herself from reacting, while the father looked almost shocked. "A Magical Protection Oath?"

"Yes. We've gone that way, after she explained what it meant and how important it was for her. My good friend, Miss Granger, whom I trust with my life, agreed that this was the right thing to do. Daphne is under Potter protection ever since."

Mr. Greengrass considered the situation, looking very sternly at his daughter. "I believe it is our turn to pay for that protection," he said.

"No, Dad. I've checked this thoroughly before asking for protection. You can't pay for it. Only I or my descendents can. I decided to pay with the only valuable that I owned."

"Your virginity..." her mother murmured.

"Yes, Mum. My virginity. I gave it gladly to Lord Potter and I would have done it even had he not given me his protection, just as partial repayment for getting rid of that monster. It also proved beneficial in a different way. I'm now expecting a Greengrass heir."

Her father looked as if he wanted to get his wand and curse both Daphne and Harry, yet he knew better than to engage in a fight with The Man Who Conquered. He took a few deep breathes before talking again. "I thought you would be expecting the Potter heir, if at all."

"No, Dad. As this was payment for protection, it didn't create any additional obligation. My son would be a Greengrass, not a Potter, although I believe his father will be deeply involved in his life."

Her mother started crying silently. Her father, forgetting for a moment the formal situation, hugged her comfortingly for a short while before turning to the group again. "I still don't understand why you rejected the marriage contract, especially since you already knew Daphne very intimately. Was she disappointing in any way?"

Harry smiled reassuringly. "Daphne is a wonderful woman and has become a very dear friend since I've got to know her, yet we're not in love. I wouldn't like to spend my life with someone I'm not deeply in love with and I don't wish her such life either. We'd better stay good friends than become bitter enemies just by getting married."

The Greengrass parents seemed to start coming to terms with the new situation. The conversation became less formal now. Daphne told her parents about the way she was helping Lord Potter with his correspondence and teaching him proper wizarding etiquette, emphasizing the fact that she needed to continue doing these jobs for a while. "We also need to get ready for our NEWTs, and studying in a group seems to be more productive than studying alone."

"A group?" wondered her father.

"Well, there's Harry, Hermione, Tracey, Luna, Susan Bones, the Patil twins and me. Maybe Neville Longbottom and Hanna Abbot will join as well."

"You can ask me for help if you need any," her mother said. "I've been very good at potions and charms, you know."

"And I can also help a bit with runes and transfiguration, if you need," her father offered.

"We're sure to keep that in mind," Hermione said.

Daphne's sister was now allowed to join them. She first ran to Daphne and hugged her tightly. "I was so afraid when I saw you didn't leave school before the battle."

Daphne hugged her back. "I couldn't. I felt it was my call to help all those who needed help fighting the dark force."

"Wasn't it against our declared neutrality?" Astoria asked.

"It was the right thing to do at the time. I was unable to fight, but I could at least help the fighters to my best ability."

They returned home much later, feeling quite relieved of defusing that charged situation.

The Davis parents weren't as formal as the Greengrass. They didn't like their daughter getting pregnant without marriage, but having Lord Potter become an unofficial part of her life didn't seem too bad to them. Daphne's presence also helped, as they knew her parents and appreciated their views.

It was a different ballgame with the Patil parents. They came from a different cultural background and they had both their daughters protected.

Luna proved invaluable at this meeting. Her out-of-the blue comments helped break the ice even at the tightest points. "Oh, I'm sure every girl in wizarding Britain would happily give her virginity to Harry, if just for the chance to spend a few minutes alone with him."

"Why would you not marry our daughters, now that they lost their virginity to you?" they asked.

"Well, there are several more who had the same happen to them and I'm not marrying any, or else, I would have to marry the whole lot. They would be much worse if they had to marry me than if they get to live their life as they please."

"It is unbecoming for a young girl to lose her virginity and not get married to the man involved," they informed him. "She will never be respected in society."

Harry shook his head. "I assure you that the British society has no such problem. Your daughters are both bright and beautiful witches which every wizard would be glad to marry and they deserve to choose their mates. Being under Potter protection just assures them of being well treated by everyone who doesn't wish to taste Potter wrath."

Daphne's presence also helped. Her parents were well known and having accepted the same kind of protection made the Patil easier to persuade. They eventually understood that it was all for the best and that their daughters deserved more choice than they initially planned on giving them.

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	12. Chapter 12 Snape

**12. Snape**

_May, 22, 1998_

There were very few people gathered in the side hall at Gringotts, where Snape's will reading was to be held. Draco was there, as expected, accompanied by his mother. An auror stood near them, reminding Harry that both were held under house arrest until their trial. Minerva McGonagall was there, looking quite confused, just like Harry and Hermione felt. A ministry official stood aside, his document folder identifying him as such, looking quite bored. Another stranger, an old woman with dark eyes and formerly dark hair that was now mostly white, was sitting there as well, seemingly deep in thought.

A goblin joined them as the clock struck, carrying a large folder and a pensive. Another goblin – an armed guard – positioned himself at the door and closed it behind him.

"This is the reading of Severus Snape's will. Let's start," the goblin announced, tapping the pensive with his long finger.

A figure looking like Severus Snape rose from the liquid in the pensive and started reciting the will. After the formal part came the will proper:

"_To my mother, Eileen Snape nee Prince, I leave a trust vault of fifteen thousand galleons. This is more money than you've had since marrying my father, and certainly since he died. It should give you better living conditions for the rest of your life._

_To my tutor, my colleague and my rival, Minerva McGonagall, I leave my diaries. They should include everything up to my last few days. I'm sure you will find some interesting stuff in there. I'll let you decide what to do with the information within._

_To Miss Hermione Granger, the most brilliant student I've had the displeasure to teach, I leave my entire potions library at Hogwarts. I'm sure you'll put it to good use._

_To Harry Potter, son of my dear childhood friend, my only love – Lilly Evans, I leave an envelope with some documents you would find interesting and useful. Make sure to seek Miss Granger's help before you botch everything. I also left you a letter in there._

_To my godson, Draco Malfoy, I leave everything else that I own. There's some money in my vault as well as a few notebooks with some recipes for potions I've invented. If you are lucky enough to escape this war alive, you will surely find them useful. Try to be your own person and not to follow in your father's steps and don't stand in Potter's way – it will never end well for you."_

The goblin proceeded by giving a written copy of the will to each person mentioned in it. "You may collect your inheritance, based on this will, from one of the tellers. Lord Potter, this is the envelope he left for you." He handed Harry a heavy envelope which he took from his folder. "Miss Granger, you don't need our help to collect your inheritance, but you were still left a key to his lodging in Hogwarts, in case another cannot be found."

Once they finished their business with the will, Harry went to meet his account manager. This one protested Hermione's presence once more. "This is personal business. She has no reason to be here."

"Hermione is my best friend and my trusted advisor. I've actually asked her to join me here, as I'm not sure I can cope alone."

The goblin still looked unsatisfied, but accepted her presence. He proceeded, showing the balance of all of Harry's accounts and then started going into details.

Harry was overwhelmed, despite his previous visit. The numbers were just too big to comprehend. He felt intimidated by them and in no shape to reach any decisions. Hermione, although somewhat surprised at first, just like Harry, handled everything for him, gaining the goblin's respect as she was quick to grasp new concepts and find connections between seemingly unrelated items. "You should make her your business manager," the goblin advised Harry before they left.

Harry was unable to say anything before leaving the bank. "Wouldn't you like some refreshment?" Hermione asked him. He just nodded. Hermione cast a quick glamour charm to change his appearance before they left, and another on herself. Seeing the hordes of fan-girls waiting in front of the bank, Harry was glad for her foresight.

They ended up in a small cafe on a side street in muggle London.

"Can you explain what the goblin told us in a way I can understand?" Harry asked.

"I'll try. I'm not sure I understand it well enough myself, though..."

She waited until they received their order before trying to explain. "To put it simply – you seem to be the richest British wizard alive, probably the richest British citizen as well. You own several palaces, a few more houses and many apartments all around the world. You control about ten major companies and many smaller ones and have shares in many more – all quite fruitful. You probably earn in a day more than my parents used to earn in a year. Oh, you also own about half of Diagon Alley and half of Hogwarts, being the heir of Gryffindor from your Potter side, and the heir of Slytherin by right of conquest."

Harry gasped. "That's much more than I need for living. What will I do with all of this?"

Hermione smiled now. "Well, you should first learn all the details of your businesses and how they affect others before you can make any decisions. You should also visit the lodgings you own, at least those that aren't currently rented to others. Considering your large entourage, one of the mansions should be just right for moving into."

"Will you stay with me?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Where else can I go? My parents are still in Australia; Ron is with Lavender; my old house is a derelict at the moment and I still have to study for my NEWTs. I'm just glad you want me to join you."

"You're my best friend! You're always welcome in my house," Harry told her with deep conviction.

Harry didn't open the envelope left for him by Snape until he reached home. He asked Hermione to come with him to the dining room. He didn't really want anybody to see this, yet he was sure he would need Hermione's advice and support, and Hermione wasn't just anybody; she was his best friend. He somewhat felt this title was no longer fitting. She was much more than that, but he couldn't say what. Besides, Snape had recommended he took her advice.

They let the contents of that envelope spill on the table. It contained a few old photographs, showing a beautiful red-headed girl playing with a dark, somber young boy, and then some more showing the same two as they were growing up, wearing Hogwarts robes. Harry's eyes filled with tears as he saw his mother so young and careless.

His eyes then went to a small parchment, just a note really. It was written in small, delicate handwriting, yet there was fury evident in the way the letters were laid on the parchment as well as in the phrasing.

"_Severus,_

_I've stood by you throughout the years, believing you were my friend. I warned you time and again that the ones you seek to become friends with will become your doom, yet you wouldn't listen to me. This is the last warning, though. By uttering that disgraceful word towards me you disrupted any friendship I thought was still between us. It is your choice now. You either stick to our old friendship, letting go of all those 'death-eaters' nonsense, or you choose them, losing all that ever was and all that ever could be between us._

_If you decide to stick with them don't ever come close to me, my friends and my family, or you'll regret it. Try to choose wisely for once._

_Lilly."_

Harry already knew what Snape chose and how much he regretted that choice.

There was a smaller envelope as well, addressed to him. He found a letter in there, written in the handwriting he had known for years.

"_Harry,_

_You already know that I've made a few very poor choices in my life and I've paid the price fully. I loved a beautiful and smart muggleborn girl and I believe she could have loved me back, had I acted smarter, yet I didn't and I lost her to another._

_Be smart, Harry. You may not be aware of your feelings yet, but I know that you love Miss Granger just as much as she loves you. Don't let her despair of you and look for somebody else to love. You'll regret it for the rest of your miserable life if you don't act in time._

_I don't leave you any money, as you already have more than enough from your father, but I leave you a few pages of some very important potions that I've invented. They will help you cure almost every illness. Try the one I've marked on Longbottom's parents. Hopefully, it would help them recover, but don't let him raise his hopes, as this has never been tested. I know I mistreated him badly, but I had a kind of reputation to hold on to._

_You'll need Grangers' help with these potions, but if you stick to my previous advice, this would pose no problem._

_Try to prove me wrong: don't act like your father used to, before your mother straightened him out, just as you need Miss Granger to keep you out of trouble. Be wise and kind like your mother and live the life as she intended you to live. This will be your final revenge on Voldemort._

_Regretfully yours,_

_Severus Snape."_

There were a few more pages in the envelope. Harry looked at them. One was marked as _"Intended for Cruciatus victims"_.

He now looked at Hermione. Her face seemed unreadable to him, which was odd. He could always know what she was feeling just by looking at her.

"What is it, Hermione?" he asked her worriedly.

"I think this day was just too much for me. I think I should retire now. Good night, Harry." She gave his cheek a fleeting kiss, as usual, and went to her room, leaving a very confused Harry behind.

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	13. Chapter 13 Narcissa

**13. Narcissa**

_June, 1998_

They didn't talk about Snape's letter the next day or the next week; not even the next month. Both Harry and Hermione didn't find it something they wanted to talk about or act upon; not yet, anyway. There were other things which were more pressing and required their time.

Attending the trials of the Death Eaters was not something Harry liked, yet his presence at this specific trial was also required as a witness, giving him no choice.

The Malfoys were all tried at the same time, although each had a different set of charges cited against. Draco had not been accused of any severe crime. He was only charged for being marked as a Death Eater and for leading the Death Eaters into Hogwarts at the end of his sixth year. Narcissa wasn't even marked, yet she aided her husband and covered for him during his misadventures as Death Eater. Lucius had most charges to defend against: he was accused of torturing and killing quite a few muggles and magicals during his service for the dark lord; of breaking into the DOM at the ministry at the end of Harry's fifth year; of bribing many ministry officials, starting with Fudge and of several relatively minor offenses as well.

Unlike the previous time, Veritaserum was used extensively, ruling out the Imperius defenses. Considering the general public opinion, Harry was quite sure Lucius would spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

It was not so easy to decide about the other two. While Draco had been an insufferable git throughout his school years and also helped the attack on the school, he didn't kill anybody and even prevented others from killing Harry. This was what Harry was asked to verify in his testimony.

Narcissa pleaded not guilty, as all her actions were directed by the sole purpose of defending her son and, to a lesser degree, her husband. She also told of how she lied to the dark lord in order to save Harry, and he testified to confirm it.

The verdict posed no surprises. Lucius was sentenced for life in Azkaban while Narcissa and Draco were let free with very high fines set on them for their lesser crimes.

Harry was anxious to leave the hall as soon as the trial was over, yet a voice stopped him. "Lord Potter!"

He turned around. Narcissa was approaching him, looking as cold as ever.

Harry waited silently. Narcissa stood in front of him and lowered her head in deference.

"My Lord, I want to thank you for your testimony in favor of me and my son. I'm forever indebted to you for this."

Harry didn't know what to say, yet Narcissa continued. "I'd also like to appeal to you, as Lord Black. I believe that now, as my husband is sentenced, this is a clear breach of my marriage contract, allowing you to claim it null and void, thus restoring me back to the house of Black and reclaiming my dowry. I beg you, my Lord, to consider these facts and to set me free from this contract."

Harry could not deny her. "I'll see what I can do and if I find that I can act as you said, I promise to do my best."

Narcissa seemed relieved. "Thank you, my Lord. That's all I can ask from you. Please let me know when you reach your decision, whichever it may be."

"I will," he answered, leaving the court.

Daphne didn't feel it was her place to express any opinion, but Hermione had no such restraints. "I believe she's a good woman who found herself in an impossible situation. I think you should help her."

"Where would I find her contract?" Harry asked.

"It should be in the Black Vault, and even if not – the goblins are sure to have a copy."

Harry needed some help looking through the vast vault, but he eventually found the contract. Just as Narcissa said, there was a clause pertaining to such condition: _"If the groom is found guilty of any major crime and sentenced to spend more than a year in prison, it voids the contract. In that case, the bride should be compensated for the time she__'__d invested in the matrimony at a rate of ten thousand galleons for each year and her dowry should be returned in full with appropriate interest added."_

"Should I release her from the contract?"

Both Hermione and Luna said that he should. "Once she's free of Malfoy, she can even help Andromeda with Teddy," Hermione told him.

Harry sent an owl to Narcissa with the request to meet her for discussing the details and understanding how to proceed.

He got a reply a few hours later._ "I__'__m now staying with my sister Andromeda, as the contents of Malfoy Manor are being auctioned for covering the fines set on me and on Draco. Please feel free to come at your convenience, as I go nowhere else, helping Andy with Teddy."_

Hermione joined him the next day, anxious to meet Teddy again as well as trying to help Harry with whatever he might need. They both dressed casually to be able to play with the baby without being burdened by formal attire.

Narcissa welcomed them with a warm smile that surprised them both. "I'm glad you've decided to help me and I'm really grateful, Lord Potter."

"Just call me Harry. Lord Potter sounds too imposing," he said.

"Alright, Harry. Would you like us to go over the marriage contract?"

They sat in the parlor, with Teddy babbling happily in his cot nearby and Hermione watching over him. Andromeda was resting in her room, not feeling well.

Harry explained what he found out and asked Narcissa how she wanted to proceed.

"I believe the best way would be to declare the contract void. It would not harm Draco's right for inheriting whatever remains of the Malfoy belongings, yet will restore my freedom and allow you to receive my dowry with interest out of Malfoy's vaults although I doubt there's enough in there for that. I would also like it if you accept me back into the Black family."

"Why is that important to you?"

"It would be odd to become Narcissa No-name, and then, as part of the Black family I could be at your service for whatever you may need. I do know many influential people and I've also learned some tricks which can be very helpful when you start your social and political life."

"I'm not really interested in politics," Harry protested.

"That's too bad, as you're already very deep in it, whether you like it or not, so you'd better know how to handle it."

"What do you mean?"

"As Lord Potter you control a few seats in the Wizengamot. These have been occupied by ministry officials while you were a child, but now it's your responsibility to take one of them and assign your representatives for the others. Then, as Lord Black you also have a seat there. Add the political power you already have as a hero and what your wealth gives you, and you are among the most politically influential wizards, if not **the** most."

Harry thought for a moment, looking furtively at Hermione. She looked back and nodded ever so slightly. Narcissa couldn't notice any movement even had she looked closely.

"Fine, I'll do it. How do I make this all happen?"

"I suggest you hire a solicitor. He would handle all the formalities. Once my marriage is officially annulled, you may then accept me back into the Black family."

"You already have some solicitors handling all the Potter legal aspects of your businesses. I believe they can handle this," Hermione noted.

"Will you help me with them?" Harry asked her.

"Don't I always?" she teased back, making Harry laugh.

She turned to Narcissa now. "Can you elaborate about the political position of the Potters? That's something we were not taught at Hogwarts and it seems to be very important."

Narcissa looked at her thoughtfully and then nodded. "Sure, Miss Granger. Are you aware of the Potter ancestry?"

"I've started looking it in the genealogy books, but other things took my mind off it. I only noticed there were several ministers in the line, a few chief warlocks and some prominent politicians and they were also quite successful businessmen."

Narcissa smiled. "That's as accurate a count-up as any. The Potters, as descendants of Gryffindor, were always quite high-profile light family. Many of our better laws were initiated by them as well as some other aspects of out lives. The fire-calls and the Floo traveling are two of them."

Hermione looked at Harry. He seemed to be overwhelmed by what he heard. She took his hand and lightly squeezed it. This had an immediate effect on Harry, who calmed down and seemed eager to learn some more. It was all that Narcissa needed to understand their relationship.

That visit turned into an eye-opener for both teens. Harry felt prouder of his ancestry now and Hermione started understanding how important her friend was for the whole British magical community.

Once Harry talked with the solicitors, the rest went quite smoothly. All the formalities were finished within a week, releasing Narcissa from Malfoy clutches and reinstating her as a member of the Black family. Harry was surprised to see how it affected the elegant blonde. She no longer seemed to be cast in ice. She was now letting her feelings show and she was smiling most of the time.

This also seemed to have a beneficial effect on her sister, as Andromeda was also feeling better and she started spending more time with Teddy.

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	14. Chapter 14 NEWTs

**14. NEWTs**

_July, 1998_

Harry never thought learning was fun and certainly not preparing for major exams, yet studying in the company of Hermione and Daphne, along with Tracey, Susan and Luna, proved to be fun. After some debating, they all decided to sit for their NEWTs together. Studying during the war wasn't productive at all, so they all needed to learn everything from scratch, and Luna, being the smart Ravenclaw she was, had no problem catching up despite being a year younger.

Luna also initiated the changes that made these studies so much fun for Harry. As it was quite a hot summer, she started wearing very loose summer dresses of the lightest materials, not leaving much for his imagination, especially as she was never wearing any undergarments.

Susan, who was feeling quite restrained by her large bra, was the first to adopt the same clothing, and she was soon followed by Daphne and Tracey. These four were also starting to feel the effects of pregnancy, which only enhanced their wish for comfort, that such loose garments were giving.

The Patil twins, being proud of their bodies, were also eager to join the trend whenever they came.

Hermione was quite reluctant to join it. She had always been unsure about her looks, especially compared to Daphne or the twins, yet a few motivation talks with the other girls made her willing to try, even if only halfheartedly.

Harry was enjoying the views like any other male his age, yet studying with these smart girls turned to be very productive academically as well. It was the first time he could actually enjoy History of Magic, as recited by a half naked Luna, or potions, as explained by scantily clad Daphne, yet Charms and Transfiguration – Hermione's preferred subjects – he liked best, if only because he just loved listening to Hermione's voice.

The four pregnant girls continued visiting his bed regularly. Although he really enjoyed their visits and their company, he started feeling that something was missing quite badly, but he didn't know what.

Sometimes he would see a longing look in Hermione's eyes, but whenever he asked her about it she would say she missed her parents terribly. "I thought I would look for them as soon as we won the war, but then we had some additional duties and now these exams are pending. I miss them more each day. I'm sorry you can't feel this, though. I really wish you had your parents..."

Ron, on the other hand, didn't even consider studying. With so much sorrow caused by the war, everybody needed some cheering up. All were demanding the Weasley joke shop to reopen, and George complied, although his heart wasn't at it. Ron was naturally required to help him, and Angelina volunteered her help as well. Ron didn't think he needed any more studies. With a new job and some money from his "war hero" position he felt quite content. He had even stopped visiting at Grimmauld place as often. Luna had told Harry why.

"Ron is usually seen with Lavender clung to his side, yet he doesn't dare bring her near Hermione." Ron seemed to remember the birds incident in their fifth year, Harry thought.

Harry tried to find if Hermione was still harboring any sentiments towards their redheaded best friend.

"I probably had a crush on him, just as you had a crush on Ginny, and they both ended about the same time," Hermione told him. "Don't you find it interesting?"

He preferred not to think about this.

Harry was just reminded of Snape's letter and he was sure Hermione was also thinking of it, yet he was still reluctant to talk about such subjects. This really made him wonder. By now he already had sex with many girls and women and he regularly shared his bed with six lovely ladies, one at a time. He was also courted on daily basis by many more witches, all wanting to have sex with him. He should have been the most self-confident of all young wizards.

He actually was, but not when it concerned Hermione. Near her he was just that eleven years boy facing the know-it-all girl that he secretly loved.

Grimmauld Place, despite the renovations and remodeling, didn't turn into a warm, inviting residence, and not for lack of trying. It was originally designed as an imposing structure for housing the very conservative and highly dark Black family, and nothing short of rebuilding from scratch could change it much.

Harry thought it was time to check his other lodging alternatives. The Potter house at Godric Hollow was still in ruins, partly destroyed the night his parents died and then some more by mere neglect. Then there was Potter Manor, which seemed to just disappear as soon as as his parents died, yet he had the portkey to reach there. According to the goblins' records, this should have been quite a magnificent place. Some other possible lodgings, both small and large, were scattered throughout Britain and a few much farther away. One, which was certainly too small for the current needs, he even used occasionally for his sex encounters.

There were also some Black houses which he could use, a few quite quaint, but he was reluctant about using them without having them fully decontaminated of dark magic beforehand.

He only took Hermione with him to check the Potter Manor. It proved to be a very large building, more like a small palace, with a few tens of bedrooms, a large reception hall, two dining rooms, and – what Hermione enjoyed most – a very large library, putting to shame the one in Grimmauld place.

Harry knew that once she saw the library she would fall in love with the place. "We can study here better than at Hogwarts!" she told him, making his decision quite easy.

Having a staff of ten house-elves didn't seem to bother Hermione, as once she made Kreacher explain to her the special kind of bond between house-elves and their masters, she no longer saw it as slavery, although she certainly thought that wizards should act more respectfully with their house-elves.

Besides the benefit of the large library, Potter manor also sported a large outdoor pool and a smaller indoor one, beautiful gardens with some rare magical plants which could delight Neville, and even a small zoo with a collection of exotic magical creatures, just right for Luna.

Their studying sessions moved naturally to the outdoor pool, weather permitting, or the indoor one, when it was cold or raining. None of the girls bothered with a swimsuit, despite some mild protests from Hermione. Even she could see the futility of wearing such garments, when studying from many books and occasionally taking a dip in the pool. Harry stayed nude as well, and the girls seemed to like it.

Neville, Hanna, Padma and Parvati joined them occasionally, and even Lavender came to visit, although she didn't plan on taking her NEWTs, if only due to Ron doing the same. None considered the nude studying offending and all found it very productive. The Patil twins were also asking Harry repeatedly to make sure their hymens stayed broken. He complied eagerly.

By the end of July they all felt ready for their exams. The girls had another mission in their minds for a few days. They enlisted the help of the house-elves and prepared a big surprise party for Harry's eighteenth birthday.

Harry enjoyed the party very much. All his friends came, including all the surviving original DA members, the Quidditch team, the Order members, the Weasleys and some of the Hogwarts teachers as well. His biggest surprise, though , was a letter from his aunt Petunia, informing him of his part in the Evans inheritance. She even signed "Love, your aunt Petunia."

He finished the party somewhat drunk and spent the night along with all the naked girls in one large bed. What Harry liked the most, though, was waking up the next morning and finding Hermione cuddled into his side. He actually considered it his best birthday present.

"Are you ready for the NEWTs?" he asked the girls three weeks later.

"YES!" the five of them answered together.

"Then let's go!"

They all held the piece of rope which had been sent to them to be used as a portkey. A minute later it glowed blue, and shortly after they reached Hogwarts for their last time as students.

Once again they used the apartment which had been allotted to Lord Potter after the battle, although they spent a large part of their free time with the other students. Luna felt quite comfortable among the older students and none dared mistreat her, knowing quite well she was under Potter protection. Susan was glad to meet her classmates and so did Harry and Hermione. Only Daphne and Tracey preferred not to mingle with the other Slytherins.

The four pregnant girls were already showing a bit. Luckily, the standard Hogwarts robes were masking their pregnancies very well, sparing them the inquisitive stares and the gossip. Not sharing bathrooms with other girls also assured their privacy in this respect.

The exams lasted the whole week. Despite feeling ready, they still rehearsed before each exam, if only due to Hermione's insistence, although Daphne proved to be almost as bad.

Harry felt well prepared. The study group had been extremely efficient, and the few additional lessons they got from the Greengrass parents put him in a position where he felt confident about the exams.

Once again he became a subject for unashamed offers from different girls. He reluctantly accepted one, using the same room he had used with Romilda, but his heart wasn't at it. He could feel Hermione didn't approve, although she said he could do as he wished. She didn't comment on him sharing bed with one of the pregnant girls each night, yet he felt she didn't really like it either.

Hermione's opinion was becoming very important to him somehow. He refused any new offers for sex and asked the girls to stay in their own beds, stating they all needed to sleep well in order to pass the exams. He vaguely recalled Snape's letter and wondered what he should do about it.

Finally, Friday evening they said their farewells to the students and the teachers and left.

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	15. Chapter 15 Australia

**15. Australia**

_September 7, 1998_

With the NEWTs behind them, Hermione saw no reason to delay her search for her parents any longer. She intended going alone to Australia to find them, yet Harry wouldn't hear of that. "It was because you stuck with me that you had to send your parents away. It's only right for me to help you find them now," he insisted.

Hermione didn't object much. She actually felt relieved, although she didn't stop to think why.

It only took them a few days to make the necessary arrangements. Daphne and Tracey decided to stay with their parents for a while, knowing that they needed to patch their relations with their families rather sooner than later. They also felt they needed their mothers' support during their pregnancy more than they needed Harry's. Luna was also busy with her father, after he had been released from hospital. Xenophilius was still weak and frightened and she couldn't just leave him alone, although she had already repaired all the damage in and around her house.

Only Susan decided to stay. She had nowhere else to go, really, as her home was still being built. The damage done by Voldemort was so extensive that she decided to remove all the remnants of the old house and use mostly muggle methods in rebuilding it, to make sure no dark magic would be included in her house by mistake.

Harry bought several cellular phones for "his" four girls, for Hermione and for him and also one for Ron, although he wasn't sure Ron would be able to use it correctly. He also made sure that Andromeda had one and knew how to use it. Harry wanted to be able to keep in touch with everybody important to him even while on the other side of Earth.

"This is going to be my first flight in an airplane," Harry told Hermione, as they apparated to the magical part of Heathrow, before going to the regular check-in counters.

He enjoyed everything like a small child, and even the queues at check-in and passport-control didn't quench his enthusiasm, nor did the many hours of flight with nothing to be seen through the windows.

They landed at Sydney late in the evening, feeling quite tired. Hermione had anticipated this and had a hotel reservation ready. "I've only reserved a single hotel room," she told Harry.

He just nodded, not really thinking about her answer. Once they reached the hotel and received the keys he noticed, though.

Hermione saw Harry's brows rise in confusion and hurriedly explained, "I asked for only one room, not wanting to go into unnecessary expenses."

"You know I could buy you each and every hotel you would like to stay in and not even feel a dent in my pocket," he told her.

"Well, I don't intend to spend your money, no matter how much you have, and my budget is quite limited, thank you."

"You don't understand! Without you I would have been dead several times over. Whatever I now own is rightfully yours as well!"

This declaration made Hermione think. She didn't dare believe the immediate implication, though. "But Harry, you can't share with me all that you own. This sharing should be reserved for your wife, or at least your fiancée, and I'm not even your girlfriend!"

Harry looked at her expectantly. "Well... I was thinking that... You see... Maybe you would like to fill all these roles?"

Hermione was sure that she was dreaming. This couldn't be true, could it?

"I'm not sure I've heard you correctly. Can you say it again?"

Harry needed all his Gryffindor courage to do it. "Hermione, would you like to be my girlfriend, and later my fiancée and my wife?"

He did not dare look at her, or he would have seen her surprised shock turning into a large grin.

"Is this an official proposal?" she asked coquettishly.

"An unofficial one. I can't officially propose until I ask your parents' permission, you know."

Her smile only widened. "Then my unofficial answer is... I'd certainly like it."

Harry only managed to lift his eyes before she crushed him in the tightest hug he had ever received from her, and then she kissed his lips. It soon turned into a heated snogging session, yet the long flight did have an influence on them. After a while, when the excitement of the moment calmed down a bit, they felt their tiredness again.

"I believe we should go to bed now," Hermione said. Seeing his brows go up again she added hastily "Just to sleep, mind you. If you behave, I'll let you hug me as we fall asleep." Her smiling face betrayed her stern tone, although neither thought it was the right time for more than a good snog.

Harry woke in the morning with the familiar sensation of two soft mounds pressed into his chest and a head resting on his shoulder, only this was the first time the head sported bushy brown hair and smelled of vanilla and books. His left arm was numb and he was actually pinned in position, but he didn't mind it. He was only thinking of the conversation they had before sleep overtook them. He just couldn't believe that he was her secret crush since first year, only she considered herself unworthy of him.

Despite their preparations, they weren't ready for the weather. Most of their British clothes seemed unfit, being either too warm or just looking out of place. They spent some time shopping for a more appropriate wardrobe. Harry simply enjoyed buying everything for Hermione, spoiling her as she had never been spoiled before. Hermione didn't really complain, though. She just smiled and laughed and felt wonderfully happy, despite not having found her parents yet.

Hermione called directory assistance when they returned to the hotel. "I'm looking for some relatives who moved to Australia about a year ago. I lost contact with them, but now that I'm here, I'd like to find them. Can you help me? … I'm looking for Wendell and Monika Wilkins. Can you find them?"

She waited for a moment, and then wrote down two phone numbers.

"I'm also looking for Dave and Jean Granger. They may be together with the others or they may have gone on a different route."

She waited a bit more. "Just Granger? Fine. Can I have it?"

She wrote another number down.

"Thank you. You've been really helpful."

She turned to Harry. "There's only one couple corresponding to the names I gave her, and no Grangers, except for a store named 'The Granger's organic products', which happens to be quite near the Wilkins' residence. Would you like to check them now?"

"Well, isn't this what we came here for? And then, once we find them I'll be able to officially propose..."

He got a kiss in reply.

Hermione didn't waste any time. She called the three numbers, presenting herself as a student conducting a survey. Luckily, she managed to fake an acceptable accent to mask her British origins. Harry could see her excitement rising.

"It's them! All three numbers! And now I also have an address!" She was getting too excited, so Harry just hugged her tightly and started kissing her. It worked like a charm.

Once they broke their snog, Hermione grabbed a map to check the exact location of the place they would go to. It wasn't far, considering the Australian scale, but it would still mean half a day traveling by car, as they didn't want to attract attention by using apparition, and other magical ways of travel were unavailable to them.

"I suggest we spend the night here and leave early tomorrow, so we can arrive there during the afternoon, as we shall also need to stop once or twice on the way," Hermione suggested.

"How will we go there? We don't have a car and it's too distant for a taxi."

She smiled at him. "We shall rent a car and simply drive it."

"I've never driven a car before," Harry said, sounding a bit confused.

"Luckily, I got my license a few days before we left, so it's no problem. You can still drive, though. Nobody will notice that you use magic..."

They spent the rest of the day just visiting the tourist attractions and enjoying themselves. Hermione rented a big car before they returned to the hotel, and after a quick shower and a change of clothes they went to a nice restaurant where they spent the rest of the evening.

Driving a car by magic was quite easy, Harry decided about an hour into their trip. Driving on almost empty roads was also helpful, as Hermione tackled the denser traffic in and near Sydney before letting him drive.

They stopped a few times to stretch their legs and once for a quick lunch. As planned, they reached their destination during the afternoon, about an hour before the shops closed. It wasn't too difficult to find "The Granger's organic products" shop as the small town only had a single shopping strip, and it was quite a short one.

Hermione waited for the other clients to leave before she approached the shop owner. "Excuse me, sir..."

The man turned and looked at her, his face turning into a surprised grin. "Why, aren't you Hermione?"

It was her turn to look surprised. "I am. My name is Hermione Granger and I'm..."

She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence, as her father hugged her tightly, murmuring "My little girl," over and over.

"Daddy, please stop," she finally said. He released her a bit, still engulfing her with his arms and checking her over.

"You look... happy, I'd say, and more mature."

"Yes Dad, I'm happy to have found you. Where's Mom?"

"She's gone home to start dinner. You'll join us, won't you?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, but I'm not alone."

Harry, who had stayed a few paces behind her, stepped forward. "You've already met Harry, I believe," Hermione told her father.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, son," the man said, surprising both Harry and Hermione. "We've been following the news from Britain and we know a bit about what you two have recently achieved," he explained, noticing the bewildered look of the youngsters.

"How could you? I was sure I'll have to restore your memories, and it looks like you not only remember me, but you were also in contact with the magical world."

Dave smiled. "You probably didn't really want us to forget you. We both started having severe headaches about two months after arriving here. The normal medicines didn't help, but we happened to find a healer who was operating in a shop at a mall, or actually – he found us. We were passing there, not even noticing his small shop, when he called us in. 'I can see you're suffering from strong headaches' he said, 'and I can help you.'

We didn't look very reassured by his promise, so he added 'You don't have to pay anything unless you are completely satisfied. You may then come back in a few days or weeks and tell me how you feel.'

He gave us a potion to drink and then started chanting in a local dialect, waving a short stick. Our headaches disappeared within minutes, only to be replaced by worries, as we started remembering what you had told us before sending us away."

Hermione looked regretful, but her father continued. "That healer is a wizard, or a shaman, as he prefers to be called. He explained that the spell you'd cast on us was extremely powerful, yet your reluctance to use it made it work imperfectly, causing those pains. It was that imperfection that allowed him to reverse it relatively easily with the help of that potion. 'You must be very important to someone to try this,' he told us."

He looked lovingly at his daughter. "We didn't know how much we could trust him on the subject of the war you were taking part in. We only told him that you were concerned about the looming dangers and wanted us to be out of harm's way in case anything happened. He just nodded understandingly and said nothing. Then, when we visited him a few days later, he offered to forward copies of 'The Daily Prophet' to us. 'I know you should stay far from what's happening in Britain, but I also know you can't stay calm while somebody dear to you is still there. I get this paper regularly and I can pass it to you after reading it, making nobody the wiser."

"That was very nice of him, yet I'm sure that paper didn't help you any," Hermione commented.

"We were worried sick about you, being on the top of the 'undesirable' list, along with Harry, yet it also made us proud of you. Then, when you finally ended that war we were even prouder. We only started worrying anew when you didn't contact us."

"I thought you knew nothing, and I had so much to do before coming to look for you. I didn't think it would matter, or I would have changed my priorities," Hermione apologized.

"Don't worry. We eventually found your name mentioned on the paper more than once, so we knew you were well. We were just wondering why you didn't come earlier."

Their conversation was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Yes, dear. I'll be home in just a few more minutes, but I'm bringing two guests as well. I hope this wouldn't pose any problem," Dave said, after listening on the phone. He then smiled as he heard the reply. "I love you too," he added. "See you in a few minutes."

He turned to Hermione and Harry. "Shall we go?"

Jean was just as quick to recognize her daughter. She hugged her tightly, as if to compensate for the year apart. She then looked Hermione all over, noticing at once both her happiness, her maturity, and something more. "I believe our little daughter is in love," she told Dave.

Both teens blushed at the comment. Harry thought this was the right time to talk. "Actually, we're deeply in love, and after having been so close for seven years, I believe we're ready to face life together. I was really hoping that you'll allow me to ask for her hand in marriage."

He blushed once more as he said that.

The Grangers looked at them with a kind smile on their faces. "You've risked you lives for each other. We can ask for no better proof of your love and devotion. It's up to you two to decide how you want to live your lives," Dave told him.

Harry turned to Hermione, taking a small box out of his pocket. "Hermione, you've been the light of my life since I've met you. I don't think I would have still been alive if it wasn't for you and I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me and become Lady Potter?" He opened the box, presenting an exquisite diamond and ruby ring.

Hermione didn't spare the ring even a single glance. Her eyes were captivated by the emerald in Harry's eyes. "Yes, Harry. I wanted this even before I understood what it meant, and now, after getting to know you as well as anybody can know another person, I find you are the best for me. I'll be glad to become your Lady and bear your children."

Harry put the ring on her finger. It flashed once before adjusting to her size, as another ring appeared on Harry's finger.

"These are the Potter engagement rings. All my ancestors for at least three hundred years have used these during their engagement. They hold some very strong protections for the wearer and are also supposed to help the couple communicate," Harry explained.

They talked some more during dinner. Hermione didn't want to talk about the war, but she told her parents about staying with Harry and the other girls after the war, studying together for the NEWTs, taking the exams and then preparing for Australia. She didn't go into details about Harry's finance, but her parents didn't fail to notice that both Grimmauld Place and Potter Manor were quite a bit more than standard houses and that Harry owned a few more.

With dinner over and after telling the Grangers more about their adventures than they cared to hear, both couples were tired. Jean showed the youngsters to the guest bedroom. "You may share here, or one of you may sleep on the couch. It's your choice to make," she told them, knowing quite well what they would choose.

"We shall sleep here, both of us," Hermione replied, making her mother smile. Her timid and conservative girl had gone a long way since she sent them away.

"Our bedroom is the adjacent room," she told them. "Good night, and don't do anything we wouldn't have done in your place."

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	16. Chapter 16 Together

**16. Together**

Harry hardly managed to close the door behind him before Hermione attacked him with the hottest snog he ever had. She seemed to be compensating for all the time she had not been with him, as they soon found themselves naked in bed. "Make me finally yours," Hermione told him, and he didn't need more convincing.

Their love making was fierce and tender and passionate all at once. Harry felt it was extremely important that Hermione would enjoy this as much as can be and he used all the experience he had gained during the time since the war to make sure she did. The connection provided by the rings also helped him sense her feelings so that he could fit his actions even better.

They took it slowly, learning each other on the way, yet the feeling of urgency was growing inside them until they could hold no longer and they lost themselves in the physical aspect of their love with complete abandon.

Harry made sure that she reached her peak before him. Once she started crying his name and moaning, her body convulsing around his member, he could hold no longer and reached his own climax.

He saw some golden lights flicking in his eyes, but couldn't pay them any attention. His eyes were glued to the woman he loved, who was calling his name and clinging to him with all her might.

They were starting to calm a bit from their climax, yet the golden specks didn't seem to go away. Harry opened his eyes and noticed that Hermione was actually glowing. He looked at his hand and it was also glowing and the room was filled with bright golden haze.

"Hermione, you're glowing," he whispered in her ear.

"I know. It's just the post coitus glow one feels after climax," she said with her eyes still closed.

"It's more than that. There's light coming out of you and also out of me," he said.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him, still enjoying the euphoria of her climax. "Well, you're surely glowing, and the room seems to glow as well," she said leisurely, as if stating something obvious.

"I've never seen it before," Harry told her.

This took her slightly out of her leisurely mood. Still hugging Harry tightly, she looked around. She frowned for a moment, trying to find the meaning of what she was seeing in her memory. She then gasped in surprise. "It can't be!" she exclaimed.

"What can't it be?"

"This glow and the golden haze seem to be associated with soul bonding, as far as I can tell, but this is an extremely rare phenomenon, happening no more than once or twice per generation," she explained, sounding as if reciting from a book. Harry found it highly arousing, considering she was completely naked, still shining with sweat and flushed from her orgasm.

"But what does it really mean?" he insisted, although his thoughts were already moving to her glistening body and the tremendous pleasure they had just experienced and were sure to experience soon again.

"It means that Magic itself is blessing our union. It means we are magically bound stronger than any marriage bond."

Harry was already starting to stroke in and out as his erection bloomed fully at the sight of her, yet he still managed to comprehend a bit. "Does it mean that we are magically married now?"

"Yes! Oh, I love you so much!"

That was the end of any intelligible conversation or coherent thought for a while. Their bodies resumed their primal dance of life and love, making the whole room glow even brighter, yet they could only see each other, could only feel each other and could think of nothing but the union of their bodies and their souls.

They both fell promptly asleep soon after reaching their next orgasm together.

Hermione's parents were already at the breakfast table when the young couple joined them.

"The wall between our rooms seemed to be lighted from within," Dave told them. "Whatever magic you were doing in there was surely powerful."

"We didn't do any magic," Hermione replied, her cheeks reddening.

"What happened to your ring?" Jean asked.

Hermione looked at her finger. The beautiful engagement ring, the one she had just received the previous evening, was not on her finger. Instead, there was a different ring. This one was even more elaborate and decorated with larger diamonds, yet it was clearly not just a decoration. The ruby at its center was engraved with a clearly visible pattern – the Potter coat of arms.

Harry was the first to understand the change. "This is the Lady Potter signet ring. It probably means that we are now married, at least as far as Magic is concerned."

He looked at his hand. He was not surprised to find that his engagement ring was replaced by a simple wedding band, adjoining his Lord Potter house ring.

Dave frowned. "What do you mean when saying you are married? You only proposed yesterday evening and I'm quite sure you didn't elope to get married during the night."

Hermione was still blushing, recalling the events of the night, yet she felt that her parents deserved an explanation. "Well, Harry and I wanted to celebrate our engagement by uniting for the first time. We then noticed this glow, although we didn't know it was also visible from without. I believe it was the visual manifestation of our magical bonding, which is equivalent to the marriage bond, only much stronger."

Dave didn't seem to like the idea, but his wife put a calming hand on his shoulder before she addressed the youngsters. "We should congratulate you, then. I wish you both a lot of happiness. You've already suffered too much; you deserve to be happy."

Dave nodded along, but wasn't satisfied yet. "Does it mean that I won't have a chance to give you away to this young man?"

Hermione smiled at him reassuringly. "Even if we are magically married, this doesn't mean we can't have a normal wedding with family and friends, and then you can give me to the man I love. I actually want to have that wedding as soon as you come back to England."

Her parents were looking at each other with some trepidation. Dave cleared his throat before talking again. "We were actually contemplating staying here, you see. We like the weather here and the people are open and friendly. We're not even sure that we'd like to return to dentistry. After looking into people's mouths for more then twenty years, we find that we like our life here much better."

Hermione was surprised. "Don't you want to return?"

Jean talked now. "We shall come for your wedding, of course, and we shall visit a few times each year, especially after you have children, but I think it would be better for us to spend most of our time here."

She saw Hermione start to panic, so she added hastily, "We shall come to England in a few weeks and start preparations for the wedding, but we'll return here after your wedding."

"Why only in a few weeks?" Hermione asked.

"We can't just disappear. We have clients, suppliers and friends here. We have to make arrangements and hire somebody to operate the shop in our absence. It all takes time, you know," Dave told her.

"Speaking of time, we should soon be at the store," Jean added. "I suggest you visit that mall we were telling you about. Besides having that healer there, it also has some very nice shops, coffee houses and a large cinema. I'm sure you could nicely spend the day there. We can then continue our discussion after dinner."

They did as suggested. While Dave and Jean left for their shop, Hermione and Harry finished breakfast and then drove for almost an hour to the nearest city, where that mall was located. Hermione noticed the bookshop first, just as Harry assumed, and they spent there more than an hour, eventually buying three books of fiction and one about keeping marriages happy.

They continued their tour of the mall after a short visit to the toilet, where Hermione shrunk the books and put them in her purse. They were just window shopping when they heard somebody call, "Hello, newly weds! May I invite you for a session of free advice?"

Turning around they saw a middle aged native, wearing casual clothes like everybody else. His wrinkled face looked kind and understanding, while a glint in his eyes showed he was enjoying himself. A glance above his head identified the shop he was standing in front as "The Shaman's Cave". "Advice and Healing for the Wise" was written below in smaller letters.

The man approached them in a friendly manner. "I can see you are a bit confused. Come in and let's talk. It's free and we may all enjoy it."

Harry knew it was the same shaman they'd heard about. He could also sense that Hermione didn't think he was dangerous and was really interested in hearing him out.

As one, they both turned and followed the man into the small shop. Once they passed the door, Harry noticed the man cast a "notice me not" charm on the front of his shop.

"It's very rare to see a soul bound couple, you know," the man said in a way of greeting.

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked.

"You have a certain aura, or glow, which is lacking with other couples. This is also true of muggle couples. Some are soul bound, only they never know, thinking the golden haze and the glow being effects of too much booze or drugs." He smiled kindly at them.

"Can you see auras?" she asked.

"It takes one to recognize one," he said. "You'll find this ability growing within you as time passes, although it may take more than a year before it is revealed to you. It took me two years after my bonding to recognize this ability for what it is."

He now looked at them more critically, as if examining them. "I can see you've been through a grave trauma not too long ago." He looked at them some more and then frowned. "You both seem to have your powers restrained. It's unclear how you can even perform any magic with such restraints. The bond had weakened some of them, but not enough. Would you like me to remove them or would you rather I teach you how to do it?"

"Is it dangerous?" Harry asked.

"It may be, but mainly to others. If I do it here, the magic backlash, once the restraints are removed, may destroy half the mall, and if the person doing the removal is not aware of the danger, he may be severely harmed." He then looked at Hermione some more. "It may be beneficial to do it before your pregnancy advances, though."

"Why do you say I'm pregnant?" she wondered, a bit offended.

The man smiled once again. "It is not a well known fact that soul bonds are not sealed by sexual intercourse, but by the union of the essence of the couple – the fertilization. As you have just bonded, the fertilized egg may have not yet reached your womb, but the magic of the bond will assure it. If you let me cast a simple diagnostic spell on you, I may even tell you the gender of your child."

Harry started feeling overwhelmed. In less than a day they have gone from boyfriend and girlfriend to an engaged couple, then to a married, or bonded, couple and then to expecting parents. That was just too much to comprehend. He felt his panic rise, yet Hermione seemed to sense his mood. Her hand crept into his and pressed lightly. It had an immediate effect in calming Harry.

"Congratulations. You're having a boy," the shaman said. "It's actually quite expected. Most of the bond children are boys. it's rare to have a girl created at the bonding, though nobody knows why." Harry didn't even notice when he checked for the gender.

"Can you remove our magic restraints? I'd like to first learn how to do it, though," Hermione asked.

The shaman thought for a moment. "I can teach you, but we need to go out of town in order to do the removal, It should also be better to do it at sunrise, when most people are still asleep, so nobody will notice the effect of even a large magical backlash. How long are you staying around?"

Hermione glanced at Harry before answering, "At least another week."

"Then I suggest you meet me at the entrance to the parking about an hour before sunrise the coming Sunday. You should also bring some nourishing food with you, as you may feel extremely hungry once it is all over. Until then, I suggest you read this book and pay attention to the warnings in the third chapter." He handed Hermione a book.

"Is there anything else we should know?" she asked.

"No. The spell is straight forward, needing no special preparations, no ritual and no other restrictions. The only real problem may be that magic backlash. It depends on the amount of restriction and on its duration. Both seem to be quite high in your case, that's why I take these precautions. It's all described in the book with utmost details. Then, once you see it done, you'll have no problem doing it yourselves; certainly not according to what I've heard of you, Lady Potter."

Harry was alarmed at the recognition. He hoped to stay anonymous at least in Australia. "How do you know who we are?" he asked, his hand secretly tightening around his wand.

The shaman just pointed at "The daily Prophet" on a side table and smiled. "I should have been blind not to recognize the faces that kept appearing on the front page for more than three years. I actually expected you two to get together, although I couldn't expect you to magically bond. I think most of the magical world expected the same." He turned serious again. "I can now understand why the charm on your parents was so powerful. Had you been less reluctant when casting it I would have had no chance of reversing it. I proud myself at being a competent healer, but I have no illusion about my own powers."

"I don't think we are very powerful," Harry said.

"Are you kidding? You managed to survive several encounters with the most powerful Dark Wizard ever known, and did it with your magic severely restricted. Once it is released, I doubt there would be anybody more powerful than you, except for your wife, maybe."

After some more talking they left the small shop. They trusted the shaman now, but were still bewildered about his keen perception.

They called Luna that afternoon, at an early morning hour in Britain.

"We have found my parents!" Hermione told Luna.

"Oh, I was sure you'll find them. Have you two gotten together?" Luna was as blunt as always.

"Yes, we have. Harry asked me out our first day here. He then proposed as soon as he could get my parents' approval and then we bonded magically, so we are actually married now."

"Well, that was fast," commented Luna. "Just be careful. The Nargles tend to be attracted to people who seem confused or overwhelmed. Radish earring may help, though."

"We'll take this into consideration. How are you feeling? How's your father?"

"We're both well. Dad still has some nightmares, but Neville gave me a plant which I can use to make a calming drought that helps him nicely. Daphne also suggested a few potions, but they seem to be too strong, so I don't use them most of the time."

She now sounded pleased. "Dad is thrilled that I'm expecting, especially since it's going to be a boy. He's very thankful to Harry for helping me with this."

Hermione felt a pang of jealousy, but it disappeared immediately, as Harry's hands caressed her own. "A shaman we met here told us that our bonding also resulted in me being pregnant with a boy, although I'm not really sure about it."

She could hear Luna's squeal of happiness. "Oh, that's wonderful! We will all be able to raise our children together!"

"Yes it is. How are the other girls?"

"They're all fine. This muggle instrument is wonderful in keeping us in touch. Much nicer than to crawl at the fire in order to talk. Daphne's parents are already contemplating buying some as well. When are you coming back?" Luna asked.

"We may stay here with my parents a few more weeks, until they can make the arrangements to come with us," Hermione told her. She then had an idea. "Can you ask Kreacher or Tinki to make my parents' house ready for them? It would be a great service, although I think I'll invite them to stay at Potter Manor for a while."

"Consider it done," Luna said.

Harry also added a few words before they finished the call.

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	17. Chapter 17 Release

**_A.N._**_ A reviewer named _lordblink_ suggested some improvements, so here is the improved ch.17. The main changes are the addition of some descriptions. I've also made a few minor phrasing changes._

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**17. Release**

The book the shaman gave them proved to be very interesting. It dealt not only with the spell for releasing restraints on one's magic but many other spells concerning magic restraints. Some were intended for parents to use on their children, to prevent dangers caused by accidental magic of children who are too powerful for their own good. Other were not as benign. Some were even intended to be used in duels, making one's opponent loose most of his magic, at least temporarily.

Yet they were most interested in the spell to remove any restraints. It was really a very simple "_Resolvo_" said with a down swish of the wand, pointing at the subject. The problem was not the spell but the protection against its side effects. A whole chapter there dealt with different shields and other types of protection which can be used effectively in such cases. Both Hermione and Harry read it attentively.

Another chapter dealt with ways to identify different types of restraints imposed on a person and identify their casters. After reading that chapter carefully, Hermione cast the appropriate identifying spells on Harry and was appalled at the multitude of restraints put on him, It was a wonder he could still use any magic at all. Most of these seemed to have been cast by a single caster. It took a bit longer to positively identify the casters.

It was no surprise to find that Lilly Potter restrained her baby's magic, as recommended to all mothers of magical children. That charm alone would have dissolve by his eleventh birthday, leaving no residual effect. It was more of a shock to find that all others were cast by Dumbledore. It looked like he used to cast a reduction spell each year, cutting Harry's power almost by half. The fact that Harry was still quite powerful only emphasized how powerful he would have been without these restraints. Hermione dreaded the effect of the backlash when releasing this amount of power.

Harry then cast the same spells on Hermione. She didn't have as many restraints, but still she seemed to have suffered several such restraints put on her, starting from her first year at Hogwarts. They all bore the unmistakable signs of Dumbledore.

"Maybe we can remove these restraints gradually?" asked Harry. "It may be difficult to adjust if our powers are suddenly boosted that much."

Hermione didn't reply immediately. She reread the relevant chapters first. "I think it can be done. We can remove only the outer level of restrictions each time if we keep in our minds a clear image of what we want to accomplish. It can still be dangerous, though."

Two days later, they apparated to the middle of the Australian desert, far away from any inhabited place or even a road. Hermione first cast a protective shield around her, shaped like a wedge to direct any stray power aside. Harry also insisted on digging a shelter for her to duck in as soon as she cast the release spell. It then went quite well.

Hermione cast the spell first. She waited until Harry started glowing before ducking into the ground hole. Harry could see the magical backlash like a wave of destruction, traveling out of his body radially before starting to swirl around him like a small tornado. The combination of shield and shelter proved very efficient and the backlash, while quite large, did no harm, only scattering some sand and rocks into new positions.

Harry did the same with Hermione, although he was still a bit reluctant. While the charm didn't harm him at all he didn't feel sure that Hermione would not be harmed. Hermione reassured him with a hug and a kiss before stepping to the other side of the shield. His shield seemed much stronger now, making the shelter unnecessary, although the backlash was even larger.

They then devoured the food they brought with them before apparating back to the Wilkins residence. It took them more than a day to get accustomed to their new power levels, although they were still only a small fraction of their potential powers.

They didn't tell Dave and Jean about their plans; they only said they were leaving early so they could see the sunrise. The shaman was already waiting. He joined them in their rental car and directed them to a small valley, a few miles out of town. While not lush with vegetation, it still had some bushes, grasses and flowers scattered around, looking quite lovely. Harry thought it was a pity these would not survive. The valley hid them well and would also direct any backlash safely away.

"How do you intend to treat us?" Hermione asked.

"I'll first analyze the restrictions set upon you, just to make sure there would be no adverse effect of releasing them, and then I'll cast the release spell on one of you, followed by the other," the shaman answered.

"Wouldn't it be safer to release each restriction separately?"

"It may be. You both seem quite powerful despite your restraints. I hate to think about the magnitude of the backlash or the shield I'll have to erect, yet I'm not sure I can do it one by one."

"We can help you erect a good shield, but I believe you should do it gradually, or even such a shield may be insufficient."

The shaman looked at them doubtfully. "You seem to be more powerful now than a few days earlier," he noted. "Have you done anything?"

"I'd like to learn how you manage to see this," she said, "and yes – we tried the spell and removed only the outer level of restrictions. We didn't dare go deeper."

The shaman took a deep breath. "In that case, I may really need your help, as I've never tried doing it this way. Normally, there are no more than three levels of such restrictions: the parental level and one other, rarely two. How many levels have you found?"

"Harry found I had five levels, so there are four still there, but he was burdened by sixteen, now only fifteen."

The shaman's dark skin paled considerably – quite an achievement for his kind. "Fifteen?! It may take hours to remove them one by one."

"That may be, but would you rather risk the backlash of removing them all at once?"

He didn't answer. He took his wand, which really looked just like a short stick and waved it at Hermione chanting a spell in his local dialect. It caused four glowing blue spheres to appear above her head, making the shaman gasp again. "These are extremely powerful restraints. Had I not seen your aura I would have said they should have made you as magical as an onion."

"Won't it be safer to remove them one by one?"

"I have no other choice, really," he said, not sounding too confident.

He now turned to Harry, casting the same spell. Harry was suddenly hidden by fifteen spheres. One was orange while the others were deeper blue than the ones seen near Hermione. "You must be very powerful indeed to still be able to do magic with such restraints," the shaman said.

He thought for a moment. "I suggest we start with the lady. I shall remove two levels, one by one, and then let her rest a bit, while doing the same with you. I only need you two to cast the most powerful shield that you can around me."

"Don't you think a physical shelter would be even better? We used one when we tried it first," Harry said.

"What kind of shelter?"

"A hole in the ground, deep enough for you and one of us to lie in and stay completely sheltered from magical and physical backlash. It can be dug by magic."

"That, in addition to a strong shield should be enough, I hope." The shaman didn't sound too sure now.

It only took Harry a moment to dig a suitable shelter. He then joined forces with Hermione, creating a very strong shield with just a tiny hole for the wand used in casting the release spell.

Harry stood behind the shield, holding his wand ready. The shaman joined him there while Hermione stepped a bit forward and stood a few meters away. The shaman cast the spell and jumped into the shelter. Harry waited a bit longer, until he saw Hermione start to glow as the spell took its effect, before jumping into the shelter as well.

Two minutes later they were called out by Hermione. The shield and a wedge shaped area behind it seemed untouched, but the rest of the valley looked as if a bomb had just exploded where Hermione had stood before. They couldn't see Hermione, but Harry felt her rummaging through their food pack, a bit farther than the edge of that small valley.

She returned a minute later, still munching some crackers.

"Your turn now," she said, sounding very satisfied with herself.

Harry stood in front of the shelter, which Hermione reinforced a bit, and the shaman repeated the spell. Harry could see the wave of devastation rising to the edge of the valley, yet the shield stood, if only barely. He just called "I'm fine!" before apparating to the car for some food, as he was feeling extremely hungry suddenly.

The shaman cast his diagnostic spell again. Only two blue spheres appeared over Hermione, and Harry was displaying twelve blue ones and the orange sphere still.

They reinforced the shield again. It now looked like a solid glass wall and even sounded like one if hit with a stone. The shaman just looked in awe.

He now removed only one level from Hermione but two from Harry, both going for some more food after the removal. They were now practically glowing with magic. The next turn released the last restraint on Hermione but left nine still on Harry. The area around them seemed to have passed a prolonged war with repeated bombing

It was two hours later when the last blue restraint was removed from Harry, removing his parental restraint along. It produced the largest backlash of them all, practically tearing the valley apart. Even the reinforced shield couldn't stand such an assault and only the hole shelter, deepened quite a bit by Hermione beforehand, kept them safe.

Harry finished the rest of the food they had taken with them. "I feel like I was born anew," he said. He looked around, noticing the devastation. "I think we should repair whatever damage we can," he noted. He waved his wand around. Some sparks shot out of the tip of his wand. The earth around them returned to its original state and the sparks that landed on it turned into grass and flowers, covering the small valley just the way it had been when they arrived.

The shaman was dumbstruck. He had never seen such display of raw magic. He could now understand the importance of this young couple to the magical world. He wasn't sure if what he helped release was all for the good, yet he knew they would have eventually done it themselves.

"How much do we owe you for this treatment?" Harry asked him as they were walking back to the car which was still safely hidden behind a knoll.

"Nothing, sir. It has been a great honor to get to know you and it's more than I could ever ask for."

"I'm just Harry for my friends, and I think you deserve to be counted as one."

The man's chest seemed to puff out. "Thank you, s... Harry. I'll do anything to deserve your friendship."

"Well, I only ask you to keep silent about what has just happened in this valley. Nobody needs to know the extent of what I've been subjected to or how much you helped increase our powers. You may freely say that we have visited your shop and spent some time with you, though. It may help your business."

"We may even take a photo with you at your shop if you want," Hermione added.

The drive back was uneventful. Hermione drove the car while both Harry and the shaman were deep in thought. Harry was thinking of the lives his newly released powers could have saved during the war. He couldn't understand why Dumbledore had chosen to let him sacrifice himself instead of using his powers to wipe Voldemort and his supporters. He could then deal with the Horocuexes after restoring peace. Well, he never did understand Dumbledore...

They took a photo, as suggested by Hermione, after returning to the mall, and Harry signed in the visitors book of the healer's shop. Finally they took a generous breakfast in one of the mall's restaurants before driving back.

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	18. Chapter 18 Auras

**A.N.** Please note that I've also updated the previous chapter.**  
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**18. Auras**

While the Granger parents were busy preparing for a long absence from their business, the young couple needed the time to adjust to their new power levels. It was especially difficult for Harry, as his power boost was much larger. Previously he had to put all of his magic behind each spell. Now he had to put as little magic as he could, so he would not overpower his spells. The large backyard, which none of the neighbors could look into, became very useful for training their restraint, and they took trips to some isolated areas for more rigorous practice. Hermione got her magic under control in a week, but Harry needed more than twice that time, with a lot of help and advice from his wife, to reach similar control.

A side benefit from all this training was wandless and silent casting. It just occurred to them to try it as a way to better control their powers and it went smoothly afterward. This was another reason for Harry to doubt Dumbledore's intentions.

It was not all work, though. They visited the beach regularly and the swimming pools as well, getting a very nice tan in the process. They found a clothing optional beach nearby and visited there regularly, enjoying their freedom just as they had done at the Potter Manor. They also spent most evenings with her parents, enjoying the family, something that Hermione missed a lot and that Harry never had before.

They called their friends in England daily. The four expecting girls were doing well, getting out of the morning sickness phase, and the others were also fine. The only one they couldn't talk to was Ron, as he was shouting into the phone as if he wanted his voice to traverse the globe all on its own, yet Lavender enjoyed talking to them, although they didn't tell either about their bond.

As the preparations were nearing completion, Hermione started thinking about going back to Potter Manor, and that brought the subject of the other pregnant girls.

"How are you going to cope with the four who are expecting your children, besides me? I know you have a soul bond with me only, but I also know you care about all four." She sounded quite a bit worried.

Harry was also unsure. "Whatever else may be said, you are my wife and my soul mate and nobody else is. Your child will be the Potter heir and you are Lady Potter. The other children, even though they won't be Potter by name, will still be my children and I would like them all to grow together in a warm, loving family. I'll need your help in making the necessary arrangements to make that happen, though."

This wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. She could sense his sincerity and she knew he only had honorable intentions, but could he keep up to them?

"Do you think they'll live with us, the children and their mothers?"

Harry scratched his head. He still didn't know much about what he would do; he only knew what he'd like to happen. "I was hoping we could find some arrangement for us all to live in the same place or close by. I also need Daphne as my social adviser and Luna for her unique way of looking at things. I don't think I'll share bed with them, though. I only want to share with you for the rest of my life."

This won him a smile and a long snog.

The Grangers were almost ready. Their flight was only two days away when Hermione thought it was time to pay the shaman another visit. She still wanted to understand how he could see auras.

The shaman was glad to see them. "How are you coping with your new powers?"

"It took us some training to regain control of our magic, but it's just fine now. We'd like to learn some more about auras, though. You said that the ability to see them came to you after your bonding. Can you tell us a bit more?"

The shaman invited them to sit down before he started explaining. "Each living thing, large or small, has a certain aura around it, as life is a kind of magic all by itself. These auras are quite insignificant for non-magical beings, as they reflects the amount of magic within as well as its kind. It is much more significant for magical beings and is most prominent around wizards and witches of distinction, such as you two."

"But what is this aura?" insisted Hermione.

"I don't know for sure. Some say it is just the glow of the internal magic, much like an ember glows. Others say it must be the manifestation of the interaction of one's magic with the environment. There are many more explanations, but no evidence to support any of them." The shaman paused, trying to recall some information. "There are spells to allow everybody to view the aura as if it was visible light. I'll show you, using my native version of the spell."

He revealed a large mirror on the wall facing them and then chanted some obscure spell, moving his wand in circles. They could suddenly see themselves engulfed in a vibrating halo which surrounded them both.

"If you move apart you could see the manifestation of your bond as well," he told them.

As they followed his advice, their halos became more distinct. Harry's was extremely bright, with bands of red and yellow fluctuating in it and some green bands appearing occasionally as well. Hermione's was not as bright and much more stable, showing clear blue and green bands with a thinner red band and some yellow specks floating around. There was a visible connection between the two halos, like a tunnel through which all colors mixed and glowed even brighter.

"You can see that each of you has different qualities, yet together you merge to create something more powerful than any of you could be alone. The connection that you see is a manifestation of your bond. It will be there no matter how far you are from each other. It will only become thinner the farther you are," the shaman explained.

"Can it be seen without the spell?" asked Hermione.

"Some can see it. That's a rare gift that only one or two in a thousand have. Bound couples can see it as well, but they are even rarer. It took me two years to gain full control of this ability. I believe you'll need much less, being such powerful mages."

"Can we do anything to hasten the pace?" asked Harry.

The shaman wasn't sure. "You should pay more attention to everything around you, allow all your senses to participate in the celebration of life. Eventually you'll start noticing the auras when you want to, or block it when it becomes a nuisance. It's just like looking at the world using a different spectrum. You'll be amazed at what you'll see. It can show you many details about a person that no other method could reveal so easily. You can't rush it, though. It will come to you in its own pace."

There wasn't much else he could tell them about auras, but he seemed to find another area where he could help. "How long have you been wearing spectacles?" he asked Harry.

"Ever since I was in first class, when I couldn't see the blackboard." He didn't tell the shaman about the scene his uncle made when learning of the extra expenses for his nephew, but Hermione had already sensed it.

"So, it's safe to assume your problem started at birth or very early childhood," the shaman noted. Harry nodded.

"Has anybody offered to correct your eyesight by magic?"

"Nobody. I didn't know there is such a treatment, as many of the famous wizards are wearing spectacles. Dumbledore was wearing them and Professor McGonagall is wearing them. My father was also wearing glasses and he was much younger than these two."

The shaman sighed. "The English magical society is stuck somewhere between the eighteenth and nineteenth century, unwilling to acknowledge the advances made since then in both muggle and magical societies elsewhere. The treatment is simple and very effective. It entails a relatively simple spell, much simpler than most healing charms, and then a potion to be taken once a day for three days. Would you like me to perform it for you?"

"Yes, but this time I insist on paying for your services," Harry replied.

The shaman led him to a comfortable chair, similar to the ones found at dentist clinics. He took Harry's glasses off and put them aside.

"Please relax as much as you can. I'll first cast a few diagnostic spells, just to make sure your problem is treatable. I'll then tell you what I found and let you decide," the shaman explained.

Harry relaxed and closed his eyes, while the shaman chanted and waved his wand around him. It only took a few minutes, and Harry was completely aware of the proceedings, finding that he could see it all through Hermione's eyes.

"It's just a simple problem of inherited eye deformation combined with some malnutrition at childhood, well within the capabilities of this treatment," the shaman informed them.

He now gave Harry a small vial with a clear blue potion which Smelled quite nice. Harry drank it, finding the taste to be very pleasant as well.

"Now, I need you to look at that luminous point on the far wall while I perform the spell. It will be much shorter than the diagnostics, but you should keep your eyes on that spot throughout the spell casting."

Harry felt no different when it was over. He still needed his glasses just as much.

"The change will occur gradually, mainly during your sleep, so you should try to sleep as much as you can for the next three days. You need to take the potion once a day, preferably at breakfast, although the exact timing is not important. You may feel a bit dizzy as your eyesight changes, but I've charmed your glasses to adjust as needed. That should minimize your dizziness. Four days from now you will not need your glasses anymore and they would turn into plain optical flats, just in case you want to wear them."

Both Harry and Hermione thanked him a lot. Harry paid the ten Galleons for the treatment and left ten more as a tip, which he needed to persuade the shaman to accept.

The shaman then wished them a safe journey home and added a local blessing which he also wrote down for Hermione to investigate, along with the other spells he had used.

Hermione took Harry straight to bed and made sure to exhaust him well enough for him to sleep most of the day. She didn't really mind it had similar effect on her as well. She just loved snuggling naked at his side, and Harry liked it even more.

They were awake and clothed by the time her parents came home. Jean smiled at them knowingly. She remembered her honeymoon very well. From the way the youngsters looked, their unofficial honeymoon was turning just as memorable. Dan didn't look so pleased, at least not until his wife tugged at his sleeve and winked suggestively. That helped change his mood considerably.

By the time they boarded the plane back to Britain, Harry was already feeling the change in his eyesight and Hermione was sure he would see perfectly a day or so after they landed.

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	19. Chapter 19 New Obligations

**19. New Obligations**

_October 1, 1998_

Narcissa and Daphne were waiting for the Potters at the airport. Both were dressed in elegant muggle clothes, Daphne's were designed for expecting mothers. Narcissa greeted them warmly and then Hermione introduced her to her parents. Daphne was much less retrained. She hugged Hermione as tightly as her bulging belly would allow and then did the same with Harry, adding a searing kiss, which Harry didn't reciprocate, yet Daphne didn't seem to mind.

The Grangers were quite bewildered at the show and Hermione commented, "You're acting quite hot for an 'ice queen', don't you think?"

Daphne blushed only a little. "I've missed you both so much! I could have waited at the Manor, like the others, but I had to come here; I just couldn't wait any longer. I'm so glad for you two! It was expected, but you both seemed so reluctant that I wasn't sure if this will ever happen..."

"Eventually it all happened so fast that we could hardly understand it," Hermione said.

"But it was fun, wasn't it?" commented Daphne.

"Yes, it was," both Potters agreed.

The Grangers didn't know what this young pregnant woman was for their daughter, but they kept their questions to themselves for the time being, not wanting to cause any problems.

Narcissa had hired a limousine to take the whole group to the Manor. Harry and Hermione took the back seat and Narcissa joined them, letting the others sit in the front.

"I'm sorry to bring this subject up now, but it can't be delayed any longer," she started. "There are certain actions that need to be taken on time or the consequences may be unpleasant."

Both Harry and Hermione looked questioningly at her. Narcissa sighed.

"As Lord Black, you have some obligations to the house, or you may lose your title to Draco, which I'm sure you wouldn't like."

Harry grimaced but said nothing.

"Then, you have also inherited the Slytherin lordship, so it seems. Even the Goblins were surprised to find it out and asked me to inform you that your presence is urgently required. I suggest you meet them tomorrow."

"That may be interesting," Harry noted.

"Yes, it may. Then there's this letter..." she handed Harry a parchment envelope, addressed to "Lord Harry Potter" in a feminine handwriting. Harry turned it around but found no indication of the sender.

"We've checked it thoroughly and then opened it to see if it was anything urgent. In a way, it is," Narcissa added.

Harry unfolded the letter and read it along with Hermione.

"_Dear Harry,_

_I know I should address this to Lord Potter, but the only time we met you said I should just call you Harry._

_This was a few weeks after your famous battle, when you accepted my request to have sex with you. I tried to take precautions, as I told you, but I probably made a mistake, this being my first time._

_A few weeks after we met I started feeling weird, but I paid no attention. I didn't even think of my period until it was more than a month late. By then I was already at Hogwarts, so I went to the Hospital wing and got a checkup. I was surprised to find I'm pregnant, despite my efforts to prevent this._

_I was offered a potion that causes abortion, but I'm quite afraid of taking it, and I don't know how you feel about it. As this pregnancy is not the result of a rape, I believe it should be allowed to continue, but I'll do as you wish._

_You didn't ask me about my age when we met, so I didn't tell you that I wasn't sixteen yet. I'll reach sixteen at the end of December, but by then I'll be in the sixth month._

_I know my parents will be furious if I tell them I'm pregnant. They'll probably disown me or try to force you to marry me, which I don't want. I'd love to marry you, but only if you love me truly._

_Yet I need your help. I first need to know as soon as possible if you want me to abort the pregnancy. The potion may only do it within a few more weeks. If you want me to keep it, as I hope you will, then I'll need your protection from my family as well as your support with the child, once it arrives._

_Please reply as soon as possible._

_Love, Janice Hughes"_

Harry didn't know what to say. Janice was a nice girl and he remembered their meeting as quite pleasant, yet he was already falling for Hermione and couldn't really appreciate any girl at the time. He wasn't interested in her and hadn't planned having children with her, but now he didn't want to make her lose the baby. After so much loss, he just couldn't cause any more.

"I believe she should keep it," Hermione said what he was actually thinking.

"Yes, it would be unfair to ask her to abort, and yet she's too young to become a mother," Harry added.

Narcissa had some additional information for them. "We couldn't forward this to you, as it would not have arrived before you left, but we still had enough time to investigate a bit."

This caught the Potters' attention.

"She is the daughter of a very old pureblood family, although not a prominent one, due mainly to the poor way some of her ancestors handled the family businesses. Her parents have never supported the dark lord, despite being extremely old-fashioned traditionalists. She has a brother who's going to continue the line and she's only expected to find a proper husband and be a good wife. Getting pregnant at fifteen may not help her in that direction."

Harry nodded understandingly.

"I've taken the liberty to go to Hogwarts and meet her. She is in Ravenclaw and considered quite bright, yet she barely passes the practical exams. Her magic is extremely weak, not much more than a squib. Madam Pomfrei had given her some potions to enhance her magical core, but they had only negligible effect. Her peers find her friendly and helpful, yet tease her for her limited power. I talked with her as well. I found her to be mature for her age, with very realistic views. She seemed really upset about her precautions being insufficient. She used several spells before meeting you, but her lack of experience and her limited powers, combined with her anxiety resulted in very poor protection during your intercourse, leading to her pregnancy."

Harry looked at Hermione pleadingly, only to find her smiling in a reassuring manner. "We should take care of her," she added.

Narcissa smiled now. "I think I can help some more. I've mentioned some obligations you have as lord Black and probably as lord Slytherin as well. As one who didn't inherit the title by direct family inheritance, you are obliged to keep the lines separate and to make sure they continue. In simpler words – you must have a different wife for each house and must impregnate her within a year, or you lose the title."

Harry looked confused. "I promised Luna, Susan and Daphne that their children will carry on their original family name. I can't change my mind now."

"No need to. You still have Tracey, who doesn't need to continue her line, and now you have Janice as well. You could make one of them Lady Black and the other Lady Slytherin."

Harry was looking at his wife for reaction. "How is this going along with being soul bound?" he asked nobody in particular.

Hermione's face brightened, though. "I think you have the perfect solution. They are already pregnant with your children, and I know you'll want them to live close by, probably very close – in the same manor. Marrying them as Lord Black and Lord Slytherin would not really change much, but it may help them with their families. Janice is too young to be outcast by her parents. Being betrothed to you will help make her parents accept the situation."

At this stage, the Grangers were also listening to the conversation, although they couldn't understand most of it, as it seemed too weird. Jean couldn't refrain from asking, "Harry, how many titles do you have?"

Harry was confused by her question. He started to mentally check the information before answering. "Well, I'm Potter, first of all, by right of my birth. Then, my Godfather made me his heir, making me Lord Black as well. By defeating the dark lord it seems that I've also inherited the right to his line, which goes back to Slytherin – one of the four founders."

"The Potters are also direct descendents of Gryffindor – another founder, although there are some others who can claim the same," Hermione added.

"So you are Lord Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Slyterin?" Jane asked, a bit confused.

Narcissa smiled at that. "He may have even more, if I understood the goblins correctly," she added.

This silenced them all for the rest of the way. Harry just hugged Hermione, feeling as if he betrayed her by being with other girls, even though they had not been a couple at the time. Hermione was not really bothered. She had already understood that Harry could never be completely hers; that he belonged to the whole wizarding community. Just being with him was fine with her. Being now bonded was just an unexpected bonus.

They found that Potter Manor had been decorated in advance. The manor was covered with a multitude of lights and the driveway was also decorated by tiny lights on both sides, making it look really magical. The entrance hall had large banners welcoming Lord and Lady Potter, and all the ceilings were sparkling.

Hermione was first engulfed by Luna's big hug, before Luna hugged Harry, as well, adding a kiss for good measure. Susan and Tracey followed suit, just a tad more restrained. They then welcomed the Grangers, who seemed not to understand what all these girls were doing. Last came the house-elves. They stood in a row, each presenting himself to Hermione and congratulating her for the bond. Hermione felt really honored by the little creatures.

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	20. Chapter 20 Ancestry

**A.N.** Some reviewers complained about Harry having more than one wife. Well, sorry, but this story is defined as Harry/Multi, with Hermione playing a major role, but having no exclusivity, as this and the following chapters will show.

This chapter is a bit on the short side, but the following are longer.

Enjoy!

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**20. Ancestry**

_October 2, 1998_

True to his word, Harry visited Gringotts the next morning along with Hermione, whom the goblins addressed as Lady Potter. He found out that he really needed to make somebody Lady Black and impregnate her within a year, or lose the Black lordship, just as Narcissa had told him.

He wasn't as ready for the Slytherin lordship, though. He thought he was the heir by right of conquest only, but as it turned out, he was actually related , although barely.

"As you can see in this family tree, one of your ancestors, about five hundred years ago, married a lady who was a descendent of Slytherin. As time passed, the Slytherin descendants became less fertile and also less concerned with others. Eventually, only the Gaunt line survived, just barely. While the Potters were doing much better, both socially and economically, they still suffered a similar fate. Making you the only surviving Potter. Yet, as all other lines of Slytherin have ended, you are now also the only heir of his line, as well as the Gaunt line," his account manager told him.

Harry gasped at this new knowledge, yet this was not the last surprise for the day.

"You probably know that the Potters are related to Gryffindor," the goblin continued. "There are a few more families which claim similar relations, yet none can be considered his direct descendant, which also means that none could get possession of the Gryffindor vault. Your ancestors never even tried, feeling satisfied just by being related to that great wizard." The goblin now looked at Harry like he was preparing for something.

"We've conducted our regular cross-checks, the ones we do every thirty years to locate unclaimed vaults. During our tests we have discovered that the Potter line is related to Gryffindor much closer than any other. Your ancestor married Gryffindor's eldest daughter and your line is unbroken since, unlike the lines of other potential claimers, making you the legal heir of Godric Gryffindor."

Harry needed Hermione's reassuring hand in his to stay calm at the news. The goblin had some more to say.

"We've also found that the Ravenclaw line, long considered extinct, is quite alive and kicking. Contrary to common belief, Rowena had two children. Her daughter is known to have been killed and still resides at Hogwarts as a ghost. The son disappeared while still a small child and was believed dead. Our new methods proved very useful in tracing his line. It seems that the boy was a squib and was thus given for adoption to a childless couple named Evans. His descendants were all muggles until a generation ago, when Lilly Evans proved to be a powerful and talented witch, making you the heir of Ravenclaw as well."

Even Hermione seemed dazed at the news.

"Now, besides the old vaults which actually contain very little money but many valuable artifacts, you also inherited their relevant parts in Hogwarts and some obligations which must be met if you want to keep the titles."

"What are they?" Harry managed to croak.

"For the Slytherin line you must get a wife to be made Lady Slytherin and have at least one male descendant. This requirement disqualified Tom Riddle as well as the Gaunts."

Harry just nodded.

"As you are the direct descendant of both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, there's no such requirement there, but you must still let one of your children carry on the name. It would be wise to keep the lines separate, meaning – a different mother for each line."

Harry looked at Hermione with pleading in his eyes, as if asking "What shall we do?" Hermione just held his hand tighter and looked at him with determination. He felt as if she was saying "We can do whatever it takes to, as long as we do it together."

They left the bank soon, loaded with parchments detailing Harry's new titles, possessions and obligations.

Back at the Manor, Harry assembled the whole group, including Narcissa and Andromeda, to hear the news and discuss the possibilities.

He first asked the elder purebloods to fill him in on the inheritance customs and laws governing transfer of titles and possessions, an explanation that Hermione and her parents needed just as much.

"You know that our society is very traditional and very conservative, I assume. As such, it has distinct laws and customs to keep the family lines under most circumstances. Normally, the eldest son inherits the title. This had caused some deadly fights in old times, as younger children inherited practically nothing. In many cases both claimants died in the duels or other kinds of fight. This led most pureblood families to refrain from having more than one male child. Once they had one, they didn't risk having another, making the old lines dwindle.

"This was no good. It was then decided that a girl could also inherit, provided she kept her name and wasn't the first wife of a heir from another line. Most of these preferred not to marry at all, as any man could become the family's heir if his eldest brother died heir-less." She looked at Susan saying this.

"Now, most families have some additional rules for the heir, like whom he should or shouldn't marry and some even set a specific task for him to accomplish before he can claim the title."

"What is the connection with 'by right of conquest'?" Jean asked.

"The main point in family continuation is keeping the name alive, much more than keeping the blood line. Once a Lord or his heir is killed in battle or in duel, the victor inherits all his rights, provided he takes upon himself the obligations as well. There are laws intended to assure it by either limiting the rights, transferring them to another and even by punishing, as the case may call. To put it simply – Harry must take more wives or concubines in order to make all his titles legal and refrain from penalties if he fails."

The Grangers looked shocked. Harry wasn't pleased either, but Hermione seemed not to be affected. "Do you like the idea of sharing your husband with others?" her mother asked her.

"I always knew Harry is special and life with him would be anything but standard, so I'm not surprised. Harry has started several children even before we became a couple and I won't deny him his right to be fully involved in raising his children. These expecting mothers have also become my close friends, so if they want to spend some time with the father of their children, I won't stop them."

This caused the four girls to join Hermione in a group hug.

Once it was dissolved, Harry returned to the main topic. "I now need to find a Lady Black, Lady Slytherin and Lady Ravenclaw, as Gryffindor and Potter are considered merged. Daphne, Luna and Susan – you need to keep your family going, so you can't take these roles. Tracey, would you like any of these?"

Tracey looked surprised. "I... I've never thought it was an option. I think I'd like it, but I'm just too overwhelmed to give you an answer right now."

"We can make it work for you," Harry assured her. "This leaves two openings still. I believe Janice may like to take one, but who would I take for the remaining position?"

Narcissa stepped forward. "I'm still able to carry a child. Would you consider me for the position of Lady Black? I'd love the Black line to still have some Black blood."

Harry looked shocked. "Are you sure? You could have been my mother. It doesn't seem right to wed you."

"I'm actually two years older than your mother would have been, but if you agree, I promise to be the perfect wife for you."

Harry frowned a bit. "Whoever I take as my additional wives should know that Hermione, Lady Potter, will always be the first for me, and the others will have to accommodate. I will not be less than a perfect husband to her due to other obligations."

Narcissa smiled. "I never thought otherwise. Just talk with Hermione alone and let me know what you decide. I'll accept your decision, whatever it may be."

Harry just grabbed Hermione's hand in reassurance.

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	21. Chapter 21 Janice

**21. Janice**

_October 4, 1998_

They visited Hogwarts on Friday evening, meeting Janice after dinner. Hermione found the girl to be very nice and extremely willing to please. Once told about the option to marry Harry, she didn't just take it. Janice tried to first understand what it would mean about her life, and then confessed.

"I grew up with all those books about Harry Potter – The Boy Who Lived. You were my childhood hero, just like other book heroes. Then I came to Hogwarts and saw you as a real person, not just a famous hero. You then were forced to join the TriWizard tournament and my heart went for you when you fought a dragon, when you had to rescue your hostage from the lake and when you went into the maze. I knew something was wrong when you disappeared. Then, your reappearance, bloody and bruised and holding dead Cedric's hand tightly, just confirmed my worries. I suffered silently when you were bad mouthed by the Ministry and the Prophet, seeing you suffer even more. Being a Ravenclaw I wasn't close enough to you to really get to know you, but I saw that you were nothing like what was written about you. After your victory..."

Harry automatically corrected "**Our** victory," but she didn't mind.

"... I was sure that you could pick any girl in magical Britain. I knew I was too young for you to look at me and by the time I was old enough, you would probably be married. I still tried to be with you at least once, to have a memory that would keep me going for the rest of my life. I wasn't even sure you would accept."

She now looked embarrassed. "My parents knew nothing about it. I couldn't even mention contraceptive potions or spells to them. I had to rely only on that booklet Madam Pomfrei had given us in second year and a few books I found in the library. I thought I had the potion right. Apparently, I didn't. As I've already told your secretary, I'm not very good at practical magic, and I probably failed to cast the contraceptive spell correctly when you agreed to meet me, resulting in this..." she pointed at her belly.

"Don't you fancy some boy?" Hermione asked.

"No. There were a few who asked me out, and I even dated two of them and found them extremely boring. None could compare to Harry, you know."

"But are you ready to marry Harry?" Hermione insisted.

"I don't have much choice now, have I? My parents will disown me as soon as they learn of my situation, or find somebody for me to marry hastily, to hide 'the shame'. I'd like to marry somebody who loves me, but that is no longer an option." Janice didn't look happy.

"I don't want to marry you against your will," Harry said. "I can just help you through this without marrying you, if you want."

Janice smiled. "I appreciate this. It could really be much better if you loved me a bit. Then I would have been glad to marry you."

Hermione thought it was time to speak again. "You don't have to decide right now. I suggest you come and spend some time at Potter Manor. This will give us all a chance to get to know each other, and once he knows you, I'm sure Harry will care for you. You're carrying his child, after all."

A new hope appeared in Janice's eyes. "That could be nice." She then frowned again, "But I'll only get to come during the winter vacation. By then I'll be really big!"

"I think I can persuade the headmistress to allow you stay with us for the weekend, if you like," Harry commented.

"Oh, I'd **love** it!" she said, jumping on Harry and kissing his cheek. "Oops, sorry," she added seeing his surprised expression.

They came home with Janice, promising to bring her back to Hogwarts no later than Monday breakfast time. Janice liked the Manor, and was astounded to find four other expecting mothers there. Being the youngest, she was pampered by them all, and by Hermione's mother as well. Harry spent a lot of time with Janice, most of it with Hermione at his side.

"You are already bound," Janice noted after a while. "I may not possess a lot of magic, but I can see you two are perfectly coordinated, much better than couples who are together for many years already."

"Yes, we are," admitted Hermione. "It happened the first time we were together." She was blushing a bit.

"Hey, if anybody should feel embarrassed it's me. I'm still under age, but it is perfectly alright for you two to be together, especially after all that you had experienced together."

The more they talked, the more Harry found he really liked her, and not just her body. Once she felt comfortable and started acting normally, they found her to be a very nice and smart person with keen observation and good insight. When not talking about Hogwarts related stuff, she was just as mature as the others.

The nice weather, much warmer than normal for the season, encouraged them all to use the outdoor pool. Janice was surprised and a bit shocked when she saw the other girls strip completely before going into the water. The Grangers looked amused and then joined the others willingly. They had been contemplating naturism for a long time, yet had very little chance to practice it in the English weather. It was one of the reasons they enjoyed Australia so much, allowing them to stay nude in their house and their backyard almost all year round.

Despite her initial shock, Janice soon got rid of her clothes and joined the others. Her pregnancy, being less than a month younger than that of the four girls, was almost as prominent, Hogwarts robes were hiding it quite nicely, yet it was visible when nude.

"Have you told anybody about this?" Hermione asked her, pointing at the bulge.

"No. I only asked Madam Pomfrei to tell the Headmistress, as I believe she should know. I then talked with her, not telling anything about who got me pregnant, and she promised to keep it secret."

"Do your dorm-mates know?"

"No. The robes cover it well and I always change behind closed curtains, ever since I first arrived there. I shower and bath in the prefects' bathroom, which allows me privacy. I also use some glamor charms, but as I'm not very good at that I ask Madam Pomfrei to cast them on me," Janice replied.

"Maybe we can do something about your powers, or lack of," Harry told her. "We'll try it after dinner."

They were not surprised to find that Janice had her magic bound. It was not as severe as the restraints on Harry's and Hermione's magic, but her weaker core couldn't overcome it.

"I believe this is the result of parental restraints, put by parents on their magical children for protection. Normally it should have been overcome by your magic before Hogwarts or during your first year there," Harry told her.

"We can easily remove it," Hermione added.

"Will you do it for me, please?" she almost begged.

"Come, let's go outside. Such release of your magic should not be done indoors," Harry said.

They walked a distance from the manor, stopping in the middle of a field. Hermione explained what they were going to do while Harry cast a strong shield. Once Hermione joined him behind the shield, he cast the other spell.

Janice seemed to glow for a moment before a wave of magic swept out of her, raising dust and dirt like a furious wind. A moment later she was hugged by both Harry and Hermione.

"I suddenly feel hungry," she said.

"That's normal, after having your magic released. Here, take this..." Hermione gave her a paper bag full of cookies.

"Do you think it worked?" Janice asked, after devouring a few cookies.

"I'm sure it did. Why don't you try for yourself? Try 'Lumos' first."

Janice took her wand and said "Lumos!" The wand tip lighted brightly, nicely illuminating the area near them.

"Wow! I've never managed to produce more than a small flicker!" Janice said. "I'm so grateful for this. I'll be now able to do better in my charms, transfiguration and DADA lessons."

Hermione smiled at her. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. I will also look into ways to strengthen your core, so we may try them when you visit here next time, that is – if you want to."

Janice was delighted. She spent many hours that evening and the following day just practicing the spells she already knew and enjoying perfect results each time. She was not a powerful witch by any measure, yet she could now do real magic, something she was almost unable to do before.

She left back for Hogwarts, using a specially keyed portkey, early Monday morning. "I'll come back as soon as I finish my last lesson on Friday," she promised before tapping it with her wand.

"Well, what do you say?" Hermione asked Harry as soon as they were alone.

"She starts to grow on me, I think. She may eventually be a very nice Lady Ravenclaw. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, I do, but now Lady Potter would like some attention. Won't you give it to her?"

"Gladly!" he said, before embracing her in hug a kissing her passionately.

Jean wasn't satisfied yet. She cornered the young couple that morning and dragged them to a bench in the garden. "I still don't understand," she said to Harry. "You say you're in love with my daughter; you tell me you are magically bound, and that comes from deep love; you say you only want her, and yet you have four, no – five girls pregnant with your children, and you plan on marrying two of them and yet another woman, with whom you intend to have another child. It doesn't make sense to me!"

Harry didn't know what to say, but Hermione beat him to the answer. "Mom, he impregnated them all with my knowledge and acceptance, although in some cases it was after the fact. The four needed him to impregnate them, each of her own justifiable causes and I had no claim on him at the time. We haven't even kissed by then, mind you. I just thought that after all he had been through during all those years, Harry deserved some happiness, and if shagging these girls made him happy I was all for it."

Jean was not to be deterred, though. "But now he's going to be involved in raising these children and won't be able to care for yours, not to mention spending some time with their mothers. Are you ready for it?"

Hermione smiled reassuringly. "Harry always wanted a large family. I wasn't sure I would be able to give him as many children as he wanted. Now I don't have to worry about it. He's already started six, and a seventh is almost sure to start soon. We shall raise them all together, as one big family, and each being heir to a different house will not make them jealous of the oldest. The fact that Harry can claim a few more titles assures our future children as well."

"So, you think it is for the best?" Jean sounded incredulous.

"I'm sure it is. I've been friends with Luna and with Susan since our fifth year. I've become close to Daphne and Tracey since they joined us, a day after the battle, seeking Harry's protection, and I can tell that Janice is going to be like a younger sister to me. Even Narcissa proved to be much nicer than we had ever thought she might be. I'm sure she would pose no problems. You've also heard what Harry said: no matter whom he marries, I'll be always the first for him."

Her mother sighed. "I still have some difficulty understanding that, but I trust you both to make it work. I now have to persuade your father to do the same."

"You'd better hurry," Harry told her. "I want to wed Hermione in two or three weeks at most, and I need his cooperation for it to go as Hermione deserves."

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	22. Chapter 22 Weddings

**22. Weddings**

Janice came as promised. She arrived Friday evening to find a very different atmosphere than the one she left on Monday. All the residents of the Manor seemed to be in a frenzy of preparations for the upcoming wedding. They had already chosen a church for the ceremony and a close-by reception garden – all in muggle areas, as most of the guests would be Hermione's relatives and her parents' business associates.

Hermione and the girls were looking through wedding-dresses catalogs when Hermione noticed Janice. "Would you like to join us? You may have to choose your dress in a few weeks anyhow. You may as well get a head-start."

By Sunday evening they had all chosen their dresses for the wedding and were starting to form their ideas about the following ones.

Hermione Floo-called McGonagall to make sure Janice could come for the dress measurements. "Don't you think her parents should be involved as well?" Minerva asked her.

"I'm not sure... Can you tell them that you were asked to recommend a student as my flower girl and you chose her? That will keep Harry out of the picture for a while, until she has to tell her parents the whole truth. I don't want her to feel stressed unnecessarily in her condition."

"What do you mean 'keep Harry out of the picture'? What does he have to do with it?" Minerva sounded a bit alarmed.

Hermione sighed. She wasn't really ready to explain it, but now she had no choice. "Harry is responsible. He's going to make her Lady Ravenclaw soon after our wedding."

"Ravenclaw?! I thought that line had become extinct long ago."

This Hermione found easier to explain. "It turns out Rowena had a squib son who was adopted by Evans, and Harry is his descendent."

The headmistress gasped. "Then he practically owns Hogwarts!" She stopped for a moment, trying to let the new facts make some sense to her. "Well, I'll tell her parents they can be proud of their daughter being chosen for the role. I'd still like to have a conversation with Harry, though. Having sex with such a young girl is certainly **not** what I expected him to do."

"He didn't know she was so young, and she, along with a few hundreds more, wrote to him asking for just that."

"Maybe I should have a talk with the young lady as well..."

Hermione didn't agree. "As she's soon going to be Harry's wife, I think that is not necessary. She may even have to move to Potter Manor soon after our wedding. I believe she'll have to study most of this year at home and come to Hogwarts only for her OWLs."

"Who's going to teach her?"

"Daphne, Tracey, Luna, Susan and I. We may hire some help if necessary. I don't think money would pose any problem."

"Fine," the Headmistress agreed. "I still need to talk with her, though. I need to make sure she knows what she's stepping into. Just inform me at least a day before you need her to come; I'll make sure everything is covered."

They visited the dress saloon on Wednesday. Six young ladies, only one of them not showing her pregnancy yet, along with Jean, who also needed a special dress for the occasion. It was a muggle business, and only Hermione and Jean were not surprised at seeing the relatively advanced technology: fluorescent lights, electric sewing machines, computers for handling all the details and music systems for setting a pleasant atmosphere.

Hermione didn't want to hide the pregnancies of her maids. "I think that being escorted by five pregnant women would give me a kind of blessing and would also show the guests my intentions concerning marriage."

The others agreed. A dress designed to accommodate their growing bulges was much more comfortable than one intended to hide it.

Harry used the time to find an appropriate suit for the wedding and the reception. He was accompanied by his father-in-law and also by Neville, who was fast becoming a closer and more loyal friend than Ron had ever been. Harry even thought of not inviting Ron and Ginny altogether, but Hermione convinced him that would not be wise.

The girls then visited a hair saloon as well, to discuss their hairdo for the wedding and make reservations. They finally met with "the boys" for a nice dinner at a luxury restaurant.

While the others had already been in the muggle world for short periods of time, it was Janice's first exposure to it, not considering her rendezvous at the mall. Now, in the company of the older girls, she was not frightened by it anymore; She was actually fascinated, and Hermione could almost see her thought: "This is something worth studying!" She was sure to help the girl learn all she wanted about the muggle way of life.

October twenty second came just too fast. At eleven o'clock all the guests were seated in the church, close to the Grangers' residence. The traditional ceremony went flawlessly and half an hour later, Harry and Hermione were officially husband and wife in the muggle world as well. Neville served as best man. Ron didn't even dare come close to Hermione, which she found quite amusing.

All the guests noticed the pregnant flower girl and the four pregnant bridesmaids. Some thought nothing of it, but others considered it a blessing for the young couple and others yet thought this was a hint that the bride may also be expecting. The Grangers just said these were their daughter's closest friends.

The reception that followed was modest, yet extremely elegant. All the muggle guests were impressed by the groom and thought that the little bookworm had done very well catching that handsome guy. The magicals were instructed beforehand of the right clothing and behavior at such occasion and caused no problems.

Harry was surprised that his aunt came, along with Dudley. She seemed quite relieved that it was a "normal" wedding with no magic evident. "I'm so glad that you found some happiness in life," she told him, holding his hands tight and sporting some tears in her eyes.

Dudley seemed quite interested in Luna, despite her pregnancy and her oddness. "I didn't see any wedding band on her fingers. Is she married?" he asked Harry.

"No. She just wanted to have a child after the war but didn't think she was ready to get married," Harry told him.

"Can you introduce us?"

Harry found it amusing. He was wondering how Dudley would present Luna to his father, if ever.

The young couple left for a week of honeymoon in Greece. The Grangers also left after the wedding, heading back to their Australian new home.

The press was informed the next day. Rita had been present at the wedding and took some "official" photos. These were approved by the couple and were sent to the "Prophet" with a short message stating that "_Lord Potter has married his good friend Miss Granger in a private ceremony and the couple has __left for their honeymoon._"

The other girls could not rest, though. They were making preparations for Janice's wedding with Lord Ravenclaw, followed a few days later by Tracey marrying Lord Slytherin.

Harry and Hermione returned just in time for Halloween.

"I'd like to visit my parents' grave," Harry said.

"I'll come with you, as I came last year, only now I'm no longer just your friend; now I'm coming as your wife as well," Hermione told him.

The other girls thought this should be something private, but Janice had a different idea. "I'm soon going to be your wife as well and continue your mother's line. I wish to join you two when visiting her grave, if you don't mind."

"I think that's a very nice idea," Hermione responded, "Don't you think so, Harry?"

She already knew his opinion. During the time since they bonded they found that they could sense each other's feelings and as the bond deepened they started sensing thoughts as well, yet it wasn't appropriate to have such private conversations in front of others, and Hermione was keen on keeping the right appearance.

"I do," he said. "We shall go there in the late morning, when it's not too cold."

They apparated to the cemetery at Godric Hollow the next morning. Harry led them to the grave, where the remnants of the flowers from the previous year were still resting on the marble. Hermione conjured three garlands of red roses, not even taking her wand out, and each of them put the flowers on the headstone. Harry then spoke, his voice filled with emotions.

"Mom and Dad, I'm standing here after finally finishing off that madman who killed you and wanted to kill me as well. You are finally avenged. What's more, I'm accompanied by two lovely young ladies.

"Hermione, who is now Lady Potter, has been my closest friend since first year. She's been with me when nobody else would; she saved me innumerable times, just as I saved her; she's been secretly in love with me about as long as I've been secretly in love with her, but now it's not a secret anymore. We had our souls bound the first time we got together and we're now married the traditional way as well. You would have loved her. Not only is she beautiful, although she never thinks she is, she is also the smartest witch in this generation, she's a very powerful witch and she is also expecting our first son.

"The other lady is Janice, who is younger. I'm going to marry her soon as Lord Ravenclaw, making her Lady Ravenclaw. The goblins found out that you, Mom, are the direct descendant, making me the first Lord of the line in a millennium. I believe you would have liked her too. She's beautiful in a different way and she's also one of the smartest witches you could find and she loves me unconditionally. She's also carrying your heir, Mom."

He stopped for a moment and then added, almost to himself, "How I wish you could have really seen them and taken part in the weddings..."

Both women hugged him tightly in a three way hug until he calmed a bit, and then returned home, to the warm and cozy Manor.

They still had to visit Janice's parents before they could set the date. Daphne and Tracey interrogated Janice mercilessly until they understood everything about her family. Luna also helped in her peculiar way, making Janice smile when the questioning made her almost cry. Hermione was researching in the library, learning all she could find about the family as well as about the Potter ancestry.

They visited the Hughes a few days later. Harry, in his formal dress robes, was accompanied by Hermione, to discuss the wedding. Janice came as well, but was hiding under the invisibility cloak, not daring to show herself to her parents in her condition.

"I've been impressed by your daughter, and as she is in Ravenclaw and I'm now Lord Ravenclaw as well, I thought she would make a fine Lady Ravenclaw," Harry presented his case.

Mr. Hughes was quite impressed. His family, although old, had no such impressive ancestry and not much money either. He was making decent living as a potion master, but nothing more. Marrying into such a distinguished family with legendary wealth and headed by "The Man Who Conquered" was more than he ever believed he could set his daughter with.

He wanted to discuss bride price, but Harry wouldn't hear of that. "Miss Hughes is not a commodity for sale; She's a person with a soul and a mind of her own. Had she been of age I wouldn't have bothered to even ask you. I don't intend to pay for her and I don't want her to bring any dowry. I'll shoulder all the expenses of the wedding and pay you the honors due to my in-laws. Anything more depends on how you'll treat us and my other wives."

"Wives?" wondered Mr. Hughes.

"Yes, as in plural. You've probably read about my marriage with Lady Potter who's accompanying me now. Due to my inheritances I also have to marry someone to be Lady Black and another to be Lady Slytherin. Old traditions even state that I should have a few concubines as well."

"Wouldn't that harm your relations with our daughter?"

"Not at all. Lady Potter will always be first for me, but I intend to be a caring husband for all my other wives as well."

"She's still a student at Hogwarts. Why don't you wait until she graduates?"

"Some traditions dictate that I act fast, or lose the titles. I still want her to finish her schooling. I'll supply private tutoring for her and make sure she passes both her OWL and her NEWT exams."

"Well, in that case I see no reason to object. I'd like to talk with my daughter before giving my final blessing though."

Harry hesitated for a moment. "Your daughter is a bit afraid to meet you now. I promised her you won't be angry at her, though, and I hope you'll help me keep my word."

"Why should I be angry at her? She's always been a model girl."

"I met her a few weeks after I defeated Voldemort." Harry saw both parents flinch at hearing the name, yet he did it intentionally. "She wanted to thank me for saving the wizarding world from that evil and thanked me the only way she could at the time."

The frown on Mr. Hughes' face was quite deep. "I've raised her better than that! I should disown her for acting in suc..."

Harry raised a hand to stop him. "Not so fast, please. Don't you remember how things were merely a few months ago? Practically all witches from twelve to fifty, and some even older, wanted to thank me the same way. I didn't know her age at the time but I was impressed by her looks. As her magic had been bound and never released before, her contraceptive charm didn't work. She's now pregnant, expecting my child. I wouldn't like you adding any more stresses to her. Having to deal with a pregnancy at her age is stress enough. Getting married and moving in with her new family is additional stress. It may harm the baby if you add another unnecessary stress. I expect you to still bless her and express your joy at soon becoming a grandfather."

Mr. Hughes was changing colors as he listened to Harry, but he dared not interrupt. He now tried to calm a bit and think of what he heard. Finally he talked. "That's not the way I raised her, but considering everything, maybe I should just overlook this act. She would not have found a better mate had she not acted this way..."

He sighed heavily. "I'm not happy about it, but I'm still going to bless your union if she tells me that's what she wants."

"Why don't you talk with her now?" Harry asked.

The man looked a bit bewildered as Janice removed the cloak and revealed herself. She was wearing a maternity dress suitable for the weather. Janice stepped to her father who opened his arms for her. Father and daughter hugged tightly.

"I should have been angry at you, but your future husband seems to know how to protect you even against your parents. He defused all my anger just by showing how much he cared for you. Do you really want to marry him?"

"Yes, Daddy. I wasn't really sure when he first suggested it. I loved him then as well, but I wasn't sure he could ever love me. Now I know."

He was still hugging her, maybe even tighter. "I can't believe it... My little girl... Married... Mother..."

His wife pried his hands away, wanting to hug her daughter just the same. Hermione took Harry's hand and pressed it. She was content with the way he acted and he knew it.

The wedding took place two weeks later with just a handful of guests, most close family of Janice, She used a glamor to make her pregnancy less evident for the benefit of her parents.

Tracey's wedding took place two days later and was just as private. Harry took his new wives for a weekend in southern Italy, where they could enjoy the sun and feel a taste of their honeymoon, as much as their swelling bellies would allow. Hermione stayed home with several large books. Harry was sure she would be too occupied to miss him much.

A week later he married Narcissa as Lord Black. Andromeda was present, of course, and Draco also came, although he didn't talk with Harry and didn't congratulate his mother. Harry then spent the weekend with her in the Black beach house in southern Spain. Narcissa used a potion and several spells to make sure that weekend resulted in a Black heir. Harry enjoyed sex with her as much as he enjoyed it with the younger women. She was just as tight inside and just as firm outside, and even when nude she looked much younger than her age. He was also glad that working close with her on his political issues made him care for her, making it easier to get intimate with the tall blonde.

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	23. Chapter 23 Five in a Row

**AN:**We're slowly approaching the end of this story. There will still be some surprises, though.

As this chapter deals with child birth, it is not for the faint of heart. While birth is a fascinating event, it is also painful and messy and quite dangerous, at times. I didn't go into details, but some younger souls may find it unsettling. You were warned!**  
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**23. Five in a row**

_January, 1999_

With six pregnant girls, five of them nearing delivery time, Harry decided to rent a place close to St. Mungos so he would need no transportation, magical or mundane, in order to reach the hospital. Narcissa, although pregnant as well, preferred to stay with her sister and help her with Teddy. Harry also suspected that she was at least somewhat concerned about joining a group of youngsters who could easily be her own children.

He was astounded at the differences he saw as the girls' pregnancies advanced. Luna stayed slim except for her belly, which looked like she had swallowed a large ball. Her breasts swelled just a bit, and she seemed to like them better that way. Susan seemed to swell all over. Her face became rounder as well as her figure and her bust almost doubled its size. She wasn't happy about the changes. She had difficulties moving around and she could hardly sleep at all, making her constantly tired and quite bitter and nervous. She was looking forward to the birth as if it was her salvation.

Daphne's body didn't change that much, although her belly was much larger and her tits heavier, yet her face changed even more. She lost the sharp contours of the "Ice Queen", gaining a softer appearance, quite similar to her mother. She now looked even more beautiful and extremely motherly. She hoped that her face would stay that way after delivery, though she liked her body to return to its previous proportions.

Tracey changed like Luna, except her face changed more like Daphne's. She was actually glad that her bosom didn't grow much larger or it would have been out of proportions with her body.

Only Janice didn't seem to change at all, unless one looked at her belly. Her face retained the childish quality she had before, making her swelling belly look a bit out of place, as if it belonged to somebody else.

Harry was most astounded at the changes going over Hermione. The most evident change was in her behavior. Despite what he was warned against, Hermione became much calmer than before, gaining a kind of serenity that glowed from her, positively affecting the whole household. Harry also thought she became even more beautiful, making it difficult for him to take his eyes off her. He was very reluctant to leave home for even short times, as he sometimes needed to do, and felt extremely relieved when he returned to be greeted by Hermione with a smile and a kiss.

The first to give birth was Luna. They were all sitting in the dining room, chatting lazily after dinner, when Luna suddenly gasped. "It's time," she said, rising to her feet. "Care to escort me?"

Luna was quite calm, although it was about two weeks earlier than expected, yet Harry's excitement went sky-high. He could barely say a word and his breathing was so fast and shallow that Hermione and Luna had to calm him down a bit before he was able to be of any help.

Once he was somewhat back to normal, he took Luna's maternity bag and walked with her to St. Mungos, where they were speedily accepted and set into one of the private delivery rooms.

Harry felt out of his element while waiting for Luna to be checked in and changed. He was relieved when he was called to join her in the room, but not for long.

Luna's delivery pains were extreme and the healers didn't know what to do. Their diagnostic spells showed the baby to be quite large, yet Luna was smaller than most girls her age. They used different spells to ease her pains and help dilate her cervix, but these didn't have any discernible effect. Some of the healers were even contemplating using the muggle method of Caesarian cut, as they were unsure how safe it would be for Luna to deliver naturally.

"If her labor doesn't advance then both she and her child may be in danger. She is losing a lot of blood and is in great pains, which weaken her too fast," a healer told him.

Harry was in no mood for talks. He wouldn't let Luna go. She had been through hell, he knew, although she hadn't told anybody about it, and she survived. She should have her baby safely.

He grabbed her hand, not knowing exactly what to do. He suddenly felt as if he was merging with Luna, although he could still see and feel his own body. He sensed Luna welcoming his help. Harry tried to sense her body, to check for any problem sources. Some muscles near her abdomen were damaged, probably due to the suffering during her captivity. With his newly gained powers he knew he could repair them. He slowly applied his healing magic. The muscles unknotted and relaxed, opening the birth channel.

Luna was already exhausted by the pains, unable to push as needed, but Harry took control. He operated Luna's muscles as if they were his own, and he was also feeling her pains as if they were his own. He was rewarded as the healers saw the baby's head crowning. A few more pushes and the baby slid out into the healer's hands.

"One more push for the afterbirth," one of them told Luna.

Harry helped her push once again. By the time the afterbirth was out, the baby had already taken his first breathes, crying his protest for being taken out of the womb. He was cleaned and covered and put on Luna's chest for his first nursing.

Both parent had tears in their eyes.

Luna said nothing. She just hugged her baby as he latched to her nipple and caressed his tiny face and hands.

Harry felt simply incredible. This tiny little man was actually his! He was now a father!

He was becoming so excited that he fainted.

By the time he gained his conscience again Hermione was at his side, smiling happily. "The healers have told me that you probably saved both Luna and her child. They were afraid they might lose her. I'm really proud of you!"

Harry was still too anxious to just delight in her compliments.

"How are they? Where are they?"

"They're both asleep now, after being exhausted by the delivery. How did you cope?" Hermione asked him, although her mischievous smile indicated that she already knew.

"I tried to help as much as I could. When Luna was unable to do it all by herself, I let my magic control her muscles. She seemed to appreciate it."

"Was that all?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

"Well... I also let her pains come to me instead of her, and I also healed some of her muscles which had been damaged by the torture she had suffered."

Hermione hugged him tightly. "That's my man!"

Luna and the baby returned home two days later. As soon as they settled in, Daphne's water broke. Harry escorted her as he did with Luna, and just as excited.

Daphne's delivery was really quick. Her labor started as soon as she got into the delivery room, and Harry could hardly follow the events. He just held Daphne's hand, reminding her to breathe between pushes and wiping the sweat off her brow. Before he could even get into routine she crowned and a few minutes later he was holding his second son, giving him to his proud and tired mother for his first suckling.

He was still at Daphne's bed when he was called to another room. Susan had started her labor. She had been escorted by Hermione, who didn't stay long, not wanting to leave Tracey and Janice alone, as they were also supposed to deliver soon.

Susan wasn't as lucky as Daphne. Although her body was perfectly able to withstand delivery, it seemed to take its time. The process advanced painfully slow. It was evening when he joined her at the delivery room and they were still there the next morning with very little progress to show. The pain relief potions were starting to wear off and the healers were reluctant to give her another portion, as it could slow the delivery even further. Harry felt it was time to let his magic work.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked Susan.

She just nodded, unable to talk due to the pains.

Harry held her hand, and like he did with Luna, he magically scanned her innards. He found nothing wrong, yet her cervix seemed to resist the dilation charms, prolonging her labor. Harry made the muscles around the birth canal relax completely, allowing the labor to take full effect. Once that was done, the delivery process took a much faster pace.

Susan still needed almost three more hours to deliver her baby, but her body was more than capable of that effort. It was almost noon when she held her newborn to her breast and let him suckle. She then looked at Harry. "Thank you for helping me have this child and for helping me deliver him," she said with tears in her eyes.

Narcissa joined them soon after Susan returned home. She felt that the three young mothers needed help from somebody a bit more experienced, and the girls accepted her help gladly. They were all still sore from the delivery and could not rely much on the other two who were due any moment. Hermione tried to help as much as she could, but being inexperienced herself, her helpfulness was quite limited.

Two weeks passed calmly. Tracey was feeling as if she was going to burst, but her baby seemed to be in no hurry. The healers assured her that everything was fine and there was no cause to rush even though her due date had already passed.

It was the middle of the night when Harry was awakened by frightened cries from Janice's room. "My bed is full of water!" she cried in panic.

She was soon calmed down with the help of Daphne and Luna who also helped her get dressed for the short walk to the hospital. Harry got ready as well, knowing that the young girl needed all the support she could get. He even contemplated calling her mother, but decided against it.

Tracey came with them. "Maybe I'll get inspired by being near her," she told Harry.

They were both allowed to join Janice in the delivery room. Despite her fears, Janice's body was well prepared for the event, and her labor went the same route as Daphne's. The baby was already crowning when Tracey suddenly paled and had to be taken out.

As soon as Janice was hugging her baby girl, Harry rushed to Tracey's side. She was already in full labor with the baby half the way through the birth channel. An hour later he could sit between the two cots, looking at the boy and the girl his two wives brought him.

Harry didn't get much sleep the next month. Although they moved back to Potter Manor, Harry had no rest. The days were full of visitors: Daphne's parents and Astoria, who got a special permission to leave school and visit her new nephew; Susan's friends; Tracey's family and even Janice's parents, who finally accepted her early marriage and started enjoying being young grandparents. There were other visitors as well: at least one of the Weasleys each day – even Molly seemed to forget her prejudices and hugged both Daphne and Tracey; their classmates also came to congratulate the mothers and even some professors. Luna's father was staying with them for awhile as he was still unable to live alone and he really wanted to be near his daughter and his grandson.

Harry felt lucky that he had such a good team of house-elves to help out, but he was still awakened each time one of the babies needed attention during the night. He soon learned how to change nappies and how to wash the babies, enjoying it very much. He also enjoyed just looking at the mothers and the babies while suckling. He was so touched by these lovely scenes that he was getting tears in his eyes each time, making the young women joke at his extreme sentimentalism.

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	24. Chapter 24 Marauders' Depository

**AN:** Sorry to disappoint some of you, but most babies will remain unnamed in this story, as they are not really imprtant for the story, despite their importance to their parents.

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**24. Marauders' depository**

Harry didn't like visiting Peter's vault, yet having a chance to see the documents his father had a part in creating was just too much a temptation. It was after a sleepless night that Harry wandered into that vault to check for those documents.

He thought they would fill a folder, but he found five chests full of parchments and papers. Peter hadn't been a very organized person and the documents were mostly mixed up. Harry found some of the first-year pranks adjacent to fifth and seventh year's ones. He didn't think he could make any worthy research of the archives while in that condition. He just shrunk everything, packed it all in a small box and took it to the manor.

Hermione and Narcissa took it upon themselves to organize the documents in chronological order and to catalog them, so that the information would become easily accessible. As Hermione's pregnancy was more advanced, Narcissa was doing most of the paper shuffling while Hermione was mainly cataloging. Once they finished, the real value of that document depository became much clearer.

Only less than half of the documents proved to be dealing with pranks. Most were dealing with fundamentals of magic and alternative ways to achieve same results. Harry found the original plans for creating the Marauder Map, along with the spells and runes needed, some details about the functioning of the Hogwarts wards and insight into the way the map's magic would combine with the castle's magic to achieve the final result. Some of this information, had it reached Voldemort, could have changed the last battle significantly.

Another collection of documents made them all smile. It was titled "How to persuade a witch to date you" and contained several researches into the ways the fair gender reacted to advances. Most of the events documented were failures, some quite painful and a few funny ones. It looked like James, despite his bravado, was deeply in love with Lilly since fourth year, but he needed two more years to accept his feelings and find a way to her heart.

"I think George would appreciate most of these prank ideas," Hermione told Harry. "They are all meticulously documented and some could become popular products."

Harry needed only a short glance at the list of pranks. "Yes, these could really help his business. Let's call him."

George came the next evening, tugging a reluctant Ron along. "He's still afraid you'll hex him for being with Lavender," George told Hermione.

"Well, he probably deserves some hexing, if he thinks so, but I'll just let his wife do it whenever she finds it useful. I'm very happy with the ways things turned out," she winked at George.

"His wife? He hasn't said he was planning to marry anytime soon."

"Well, ask Lavender. He may find her quite intimidating if he doesn't cooperate. She has not been my roommate for six years for nothing," Hermione responded.

George just laughed, and Hermione was glad to see that it was no longer the pained, forced laugh of the first months after the battle.

Hermione let Harry deal with the prank documents, as she didn't feel she could sit with them for the time needed. Her advanced pregnancy was making it quite difficult to stand or sit for more than a few minutes. Her preferred position was now lying reclined, stressing as few muscles as possible.

George looked over the documents. "These are practically a treasure. Most of these ideas had not occurred to us and those we thought about, we didn't go into the detail presented here."

Harry smiled. "I believe that the meticulous planning was due to Moony, that is Remus Lupin. Neither Sirius nor my father were the kind of people who pay attention to details and Peter wasn't smart enough to contribute. He only collected all the documents."

Ron was simply dumb-struck by the pranking treasure, leafing through the documents with disbelief.

"How much do you want for them?" George asked.

"I really don't know how much they're worth. I can't state a price," Harry said.

George thought a bit and then smiled. "Well, you've been our partner since before we opened the shop. We can see this as another investment. You'll get a third of the profit, as usual, and an additional ten percent for all products based on these documents. Do you agree?"

"What do you mean 'a third, as usual'?" Harry asked, quite bewildered.

George smiled some more. "Every month, since we started the business with your help, we've been depositing a third of the profit in your vault. Haven't you noticed it?"

It was time for Harry to blush. "There are so many transactions in my account that I failed to notice. I've never expected to get any money from you. I've given you the TriWizard prize as a gift."

"We only accepted it as an investment, and I believe it paid nice dividends, except during the time you were in hiding, when most people didn't go to Diagon Alley unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Well, I appreciate it," Harry said.

As May approached, Harry was getting a bit depressed. His wives and his children could cheer him up, but once he was left alone, his thoughts went back to all those who died during the war. The official letter from the Ministry, inviting him and Hermione to head the war anniversary ceremony, along with Ron, didn't help either.

Hermione was already feeling very heavy. She still had more than a month to go, but her feet would hardly hold her and she was getting exhausted very easily, which didn't help much with her temper either. Harry was quite thankful for having enough women around her, making his presence redundant, especially when she was getting into one of her moods.

Yet he couldn't refuse the Ministry, or actually – the ones who fought at his side. On the first of May, just before sunset, he was sitting at the head table in Hogwarts, along with Hermione and Narcissa. The latter's presence turned out to be quite a surprise, yet nobody said anything against it, as she was now Harry's wife besides being acknowledged as the one who helped him survive the meeting with Voldemort in the forest. His other women couldn't come. They were still breast-feeding their babies and feared the effect such an event might have on their milk.

As most students had already known him to some extent, he didn't feel too bad facing them and reciting the events of that fateful night. Hermione had helped him prepare his speech in advance, which also made it a lot easier. Only some of the younger students had any questions.

"How could you survive the killing curse?" one asked. Others stared attentively.

Harry didn't want to talk about Horocruxes but didn't want to lie either. He phrased his answer very carefully, thankful of the link he had with Hermione.

"You already know that Voldemort used my blood in his resurrection as a way to overcome the protection bestowed on me by my mother's sacrifice. Yet that same blood protected me from his killing curse and kept me alive. The killing curse only sent my soul into limbo, where I still had a choice to return, and so I did."

"Did it hurt?"

Harry smiled. "Not until I returned. Then I felt as if it was burning inside me. Luckily, I had some time to recover as I was thought dead."

"Couldn't he see that you were still alive?"

"That curse had weakened him as well. He only sent somebody to check this for him. She preferred to lie to him and save me."

"Who would dare lie to such a powerful wizard?"

Harry gestured for Narcissa to stand. "My dear wife dared."

They spent the night in the castle, in the same apartment they stayed almost a year earlier, only now Hermione was sharing Harry's bed.

Harry dreaded the ceremony next morning, when all those who died during the battle would be named and honored. Hermione could only calm him with her presence. She asked Narcissa to do some more physical calming with Harry, being still more agile at that stage.

Narcissa was actually surprised that Hermione was so willing to share. She was more than eager to help, making Harry forget all his doubts while plunging into her, making both enjoy their togetherness, before he returned to Hermione, hugged her tenderly and fell asleep smelling her hair.

The ceremony was held at the war cemetery that had been started around Dumbledore's grave after the war. Harry felt bad just noting all the names there, most of them of people he had not known, yet all fought and died for the same cause. Only Hermione's soothing presence in his mind kept him from collapsing, although both his wives held his arms and tried their best to comfort him.

Harry didn't fee able to talk and certainly not to address the crowd, yet when he was called to the podium, he felt Hermione encouraging him, 'You can do this for Fred, for Tonks, for Remus and for the others.' She pressed his left hand before letting him go, just as Narcissa did on his right.

They Floo'ed back home soon after the ceremony. Harry was a wreck, yet the mothers gathered around him with the babies, and these could always cheer him up.

Once he was able to function again, Luna suggested, "Why don't we cheer him up privately, one by one?" It lasted all day long, as each of the mothers wanted to cheer him and Harry needed to use his enhanced magical powers just to keep sating them. When he was finally left alone, he could think of nothing but young, lusty women and small babies.

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	25. Chapter 25 Concubine

**25. Concubine**

_May 1999_

The Ministry held an official ball for celebrating the anniversary of the victory over Voldemort a few days after the ceremony at Hogwarts. Harry, Hermione and Ron were expected to be the guests of honor and Harry insisted on giving Neville the same honor due to him confronting Voldemort and killing his snake during the last battle. Harry was also expected to say a few words. He didn't like it, but as this was a festive occasion he found it easier than the memorial ceremony.

Hermione wasn't able to dance more than a few minutes before needing a rest. Being almost nine months pregnant made it quite difficult for her to dance, to walk or to even sit. Harry secured a comfortable couch for her and stayed at her side only. Luna, Susan, Daphne and his other wives were also present at the ball, yet Harry decided to stay with Hermione and let the other women dance with their or his friends.

Several young (and a few not-so-young) ladies tried to approach Harry and dance with him, disregarding his pregnant wife. Harry just refused politely.

Another young lady was approaching, She was petite, with very nice curves and short black hair. Harry didn't really notice her until she was quite close. He only noticed Hermione becoming a bit tense. He looked around to find the cause and noticed who she was.

Cho Chang, who was approaching the couple, didn't really look like she wanted to dance. Her face was somber and she looked very tense, making Harry wonder and making Hermione less tense.

"Lord Potter, may I have a talk in private?" Cho asked formally.

"Of course, Cho, and you may call me Harry, just as you've always done."

He silently cast a privacy shield around them, not using a wand and including Hermione in it. Cho didn't say a word.

"We're now as private as we can get," he noted, motioning towards her to speak.

"Harry, I really need to address you as Lord Potter. I need your help now and I'm not sure if you can give it or if your wife would agree."

"What is it, Cho? I'll try to help you to the best of my ability."

Cho sighed deeply, trying to collect her courage to speak. "My parents want to put me into a contract marriage with some old Chinese wizard. They've wanted to do it ever since Cedric was killed. I begged them to wait until I finished school, hoping I would find somebody to love. It didn't work that way. I then hoped that a Quidditch career would help me find love. It didn't. My parents are not willing to wait any longer. They told me that either I find somebody to marry until midsummer or they'll go on with the contract."

Harry felt bewildered. "How can I help you, then?"

"Take me, please. Make me your lowest rated wife or even your concubine, if you like. I'd rather have you, even if you don't love me and never will, than marry somebody I've never heard of."

"He may turn out to be a very nice man, once you get to know him," Hermione commented.

Cho looked appalled. "The youngest of the candidates is seventy two years old."

Hermione's face showed her disgust at the idea. Cho spoke once again.

"You're lucky to have married the man you love. It was clear that you two belonged together, even when you dated others. I always wondered why Harry showed any interest in me when he could have you as his girlfriend. I wasn't as lucky. I lost my first love to Voldemort and found no real love since. Now, if I have to marry without love, I'd rather marry Harry than some old Chinese fool."

"I won't marry you without love, though," Harry said.

Cho paled considerably. "I was hoping..."

Harry stopped her with a gesture. "I know you still love me, although it will never be like the love you lost. I also have some love for you. It is much less than my love for Hermione or my other wives, but still – it's there."

Cho's expression changed abruptly, showing some hope. "Will you take me, then?"

Harry smiled at her, feeling Hermione encouraging him. "I'll have to consult with all my wives, but I don't think they will object. Would you like to dance and let us become re-acquainted with each other?"

"Gladly!" she said, as Harry flicked his finger, removing the privacy shield. He pressed a kiss on Hermione's lips and then offered his hand to Cho as he led her to the dance Floor.

Cho joined them when they went back home to the manor. She was a bit surprised to find all the other women there. "I knew you married Hermione, but I didn't know you married so many!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I didn't marry Luna, Susan and Daphne, as they wanted to continue their lines," he said apologetically.

"You may now marry them as second wives, letting them keep their maiden names going and still give them the protection of marriage," Cho noted. "I'll be glad if you chose to marry me, but even becoming your official concubine would be enough."

"A concubine? Isn't that just like a mistress – somebody to have sex with, with no real obligations?" Harry asked.

"It may seem that way in current muggle culture, but it is very different in the magical one." Cho went into lecture mode, reminding Harry of Hermione. "A mistress is about the way you described: Someone to regularly have sex with and enjoy with no deep obligation. A concubine is much closer to a wife, though. To become a concubine, one must make a mutual promise, similar to wedding vows, but not as extensive. These make a concubine respectable almost as much as a wife yet separation is much easier, needing no complex divorce and ceremonies. Unlike a wife, a concubine doesn't get access to her man's vaults. She is also free to hold any property as her own, not needing to share with her man, yet her children are just as legitimate as a wife's, except they can't inherit the titles unless there are no other heirs."

"Wow! You know a lot about it," Harry noted.

"I had to learn it all as my parents were sure to force me into marriage and I needed to know the alternatives," she shrugged.

"Will they accept me?" he asked, sounding a bit unsure.

"Are you kidding? Every witch in Britain, and many others as well, just dreams to have you, if only for a short while. They will bless our union, I'm sure."

Harry looked around, asking for the other women's permission to continue. They all smiled approvingly at him.

"Well, Cho, welcome to the family," he finally said, hugging her tightly and kissing her lips. Cho didn't hesitate. She opened her mouth, inviting Harry's tongue in, turning the innocent kiss into a full blown snog. A moment later, the other girls started clapping their hands, encouraging the kissing couple to continue.

They broke the kiss eventually, needing some air. It was quite late by then. Some of the mothers who had also been at the ministry, excused themselves and went to change and feed their babies, as the pressure in their breast was becoming painful. The others soon retired to their rooms as well. Harry showed Cho to her own room and then joined Hermione for the night.

Next morning, Cho joined them at the breakfast table, wearing only shorts and t-shirt, similar to the way the other girls were dressed. She was looking even lovelier than Harry remembered her. Cho seemed to merge in naturally. She talked with all the girls as if she'd been their friend for years. She paid no attention to a girl's former house at school, nor to her age, seeming just as comfortable when speaking with Narcissa or with Janice. She even managed to become friendly with Luna, despite some unfriendly episodes in their past.

She was a bit surprised once she reached the pool, following the others, yet she had no time to wonder about bathing suits, as they all disrobed and jumped naked into the pool. Cho only hesitated a moment before following suit, exposing her most feminine body for Harry to enjoy and appreciate.

"How would you like to proceed and which title would you like?" Harry asked her when she came out of the water.

"I'll gladly be your Potter, Black or Ravenclaw concubine," she told him, "and do you mind doing it right now?"

"What do you mean 'right now'?"

"Just shag me here, in front of your other wives, stating that you make me your concubine. It would become a magical contract as soon as you enter my body," she explained, positioning herself on a sun-bed and spreading her legs in invitation.

"...I've never done it with company," Harry tried to protest, although the view made his protest sound quite lame.

"Neither did I. I'm sure each of these women has already experienced your love making more than once. They wouldn't mind watching you make love to me. Some may even like to join," Cho teased.

Harry was unable to resist, even if he wanted. He enlarged the sun-bed with a flick of his wrist, wandless and soundless, making Cho gasp at the casual display of magical power. He then joined her on the bed and started caressing her body. His hands touched her creamy breasts lovingly, tickled her already erect dark nipples, traveled over her shoulders and at her sides to admire her tight belly and then lower, to her tightly trimmed b;ack pubic hair and her legs, stopping on the entry slit between them.

Cho was already very much aroused. She grabbed Harry's head and pulled him into a searing kiss. "Now say that you make me your concubine and plunge in. Don't make me wait!"

"I, Harry James Potter, hereby make you, Cho Chang, my concubine," Harry said hurriedly and slid into her wet folds. A short burst of light indicated the contract being acknowledged by magic.

Cho surprised him. She was very tight yet so well lubricated that he slid inside her effortlessly, enjoying her walls flexing around him in ways none of the other women had ever done. It was wonderful, almost as if he was just shagging for the first time. And just like the first time, he reached his climax quite soon, yet his experienced fingers made sure that Cho reached it just seconds before him. He slammed into her a few more times, releasing his seed into her as she was mumbling incoherently in her orgasm.

A few minutes later, when their breathing returned to normal, Cho smiled at him and kissed him tenderly. "This was certainly my best experience. I also hope you've impregnated me, although I'd love to work some more on that..." Her smile turned predatory.

Luna was quick to respond. "Now that you've joined the family, you'll have to share him, like we all do."

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	26. Chapter 26 Celebrations

**AN: **As we approach the end of this story, the chapters are getting a bit shorter. I hope you still like them.**  
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**26. Celebrations**

_June 1999_

As Hermione's time was nearing, they moved back to London, to the same house they had used when the other women gave birth. Only Harry and Hermione moved there, not wanting to move the babies. Her parents joined them there a few days later, more excited than the young couple.

It was before dawn when Hermione awakened Harry. "My water broke. I think we should go now."

Despite his previous experiences, Harry was just as excited. Luckily, Jean came with them and was very effective at calming Harry.

Once settled in the delivery room, Harry couldn't stand Hermione's pains. He was feeling her pains through the bond and just sitting at her side, doing nothing, was driving him crazy.

"Please let me push with you," he asked his wife.

She smiled at him. "Don't rush it, though, as it may be harmful."

Once again, Harry let his magic take control. He made her cervix muscles relax and helped her birth canal dilate. This helped hasten the birth process and ease Hermione's pains. When it was time to push, he pushed along with her. The beautiful baby that came out was their sweet reward. He had a dark brown tuft of hair and green eyes and he latched to his mother's nipple with no hesitation at all.

"Welcome, James," both parents whispered, as Jean was wiping her tears, hardly believing that her daughter was already a mother.

Harry didn't pay any attention to his birthday. Having had his childhood with the Dursleys, he learned not to give this date any special meaning, as nobody else did. His wives, though, had a very different idea.

Harry was too busy with all his obligations to notice the frantic activity that his women and the house elves tried to hide. They even made him believe that the activity within the garden and the ballroom was just a normal seasonal maintenance. He went to bed on the 30th of July without even thinking of the date.

Harry woke up in the morning with all eight women in his life surrounding his bed, wearing nothing. Before he even understood what he saw, he was kissed all over by eight mouths and caressed by sixteen hands. Eventually he found himself buried deep inside Hermione, as their combined magic banished the others from the room.

This was just the overture.

As soon as breakfast was over, many guests started arriving either through the Floo or by apparition, and some even by muggle means.

First to arrive were Neville with Hanna, followed a few minutes later by Ron and Lavender. By lunchtime there were already more than a hundred guests: friends, classmates, DA members, Order members, Hogwarts staff and surprisingly – Petunia and Dudley as well.

Harry was feeling as if it was a dream. This was much better than his previous birthday party and much livelier. The guests stayed until dinner and beyond. They were all chatting and drinking and quite a few were even dancing, as a small band was supplying appropriate music. Harry danced with all his women. Even Narcissa danced a bit, as far as her legs could hold her swollen body.

It was turning late. Most guests had already left, wishing Harry all the best. Harry was sitting with Hermione, who was feeding James, and with the other women around him. He then noticed two faces which were not part of his family: Parvati and Padma.

"I thought you've already left some time ago," he noted.

"We only went to our rooms to change," Padma said.

"Daphne has invited us to stay," Parvati added.

Harry noted they were both wearing very short shear nightgowns, hiding almost nothing. Well, he had already known them intimately, so that posed no problem.

"We have a request, and this seems to be the right time for it," Padma said.

Harry turned his attention to her.

"We would like to join your harem," both twins said together.

"But why?" he wondered.

"Since graduation we both tried to find somebody to love. We dated many men – both wizards and muggles, but none measured up. Then, when we've got the invitation to your birthday, we finally understood why. We've fallen in love with you when you took us under your protection, and now no other man would do," Padma explained.

"Please take us as wives or concubines, just let us be yours," Parvati added.

He couldn't say he disliked the idea of having these two gorgeous girls joining his bed, er... his family. They looked like bronze statues of Indian goddesses, with firm medium sized breasts, dark nipples and curvy waists. Harry looked around. All his women were nodding their approval. Cho was even mouthing "wives" silently and he could sense Hermione wanting the same.

"Fine. I'll marry you two as second or third wives as soon as I marry the mothers of my children," he said.

As Narcissa was approaching her due date, Harry thought he would stay with her in the London house, but she had different ideas. "I'd rather stay with my sister. I have a portkey to St. Mungos and Andy will inform you as soon as I'm ready. No need to leave your other wives and children for me."

"But you are my wife as well! I want to take part in this just as with the others. I really care for you," Harry protested.

She smiled at him. "I appreciate your feelings more than I can say, yet I feel it would be for the best. I'll join you and the others after, when I'll need help recovering from the birth and taking care of the newborn."

Harry agreed reluctantly, but only after making sure that Andromeda could use the telephone effectively.

It was a few weeks later, when Harry's phone rang in the middle of the night. "Narcissa has just left for St. Mungos," Andromeda told him.

Harry only needed a minute to be ready and in no time he joined his eldest wife in the delivery room. Narcissa looked calm and only a slight frown every few minutes showed she was in labor. She smiled seeing him and held his hand. "Thank you for being here for me and for giving me the chance to continue the Black line," she said softly.

Despite his worries, it went very smoothly. While not very fast, it advanced at a comfortable rate that didn't stress Narcissa nor the medical team. Four hours later, Harry was giving baby Sirius to his mother for the first suckling.

Two days later, Narcissa and Sirius joined the rest of the family at the Potter Manor.

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	27. Chapter 27 Life Anew

We're approaching the end of this story. Only one more chapter to go.

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**27. Life Anew**

_November 1999_

Snape's potion recipes didn't get much attention until all seven babies were born, but with Sirius going into his third month and the other children older than that, Harry felt it was time to check them out.

With Hermione at his side he reread each of the recipes a few times, along with the notes concerning their proper use and the ailments they were intended to cure. They were naturally interested in the possible cure for Neville's parents first.

"It looks very complicated. Can we do it?" Harry asked.

"I'm sure we can," Hermione answered, "But we may involve a few more people. Two are not enough unless we give up any other activity for a while. I'd like others to read this as well."

Despite her O+ in Potions, Hermione wanted to consult with Daphne and Narcissa, at least. Daphne was just as good at potions and Narcissa had also been one of the best during her time at Hogwarts.

The potion seemed to be quite complicated, requiring a multitude of ingredients, measured to precise quantities and mixed strictly on time with very exact stirring motions. It would need several weeks of brewing with regular stirring to prepare two portions which should be used within two days afterward. Harry would not have bothered with it, had it not been intended for his friend. Neville was still visiting his parents regularly at St. Mungos, although their conditions didn't change. Harry knew that just being recognized by his parents would make Neville the happiest man in the world.

They started by acquiring all the ingredients. Some were rare and expensive. Harry was not bothered by the price, but insisted on the quality.

It then took the girls several days of meticulous preparations to get all the ingredients measured, properly prepared and lined up in sequence, according to the recipe. It was then Harry's turn to set the cauldron and the fire and start mixing the ingredients, with Hermione reading the instructions to him and making sure he followed them correctly.

The mixture should then simmer for two weeks with just some stirring at precise times, which the girls would do.

A few more ingredients would then be added. Some needed to be added at noon, others at midnight and still others at sunrise or sunset. The timing was critical, requiring two to handle this task at each time.

After two more weeks of simmering with precise stirring came the most critical step: a combining spell should be cast on the cauldron, helping the ingredients combine to create the final potion. It must then simmer untouched for six more hours before being gradually cooled and bottled. The spell would only hold for up to three days, depending on the magical powers of the caster, and the potion must be used before the spell expired.

Harry planned the sequence to make the potion ready for the weekend, when Neville used to visit his parents, occasionally accompanied by Harry and Hermione. They intended to join him this time, along with Daphne. Harry didn't approve of Narcissa's presence, as she could bring Neville's parents some bad memories. He also declined Janice's request to join them. He didn't want his youngest wife to be exposed to that ward unnecessarily.

Neville was excited yet apprehensive. He didn't dare believe that this treatment would really help, yet he couldn't dismiss even the slimmest chance to help his parents.

Alice and Frank Longbottom were sitting at a small table and just staring when the group arrived. Neville approached and greeted them, getting no response, as usual, although they turned their eyes at him. He then told them about the treatment he wanted them to receive, eliciting no response.

Harry and Hermione approached next. They made Neville sit between his parents, holding their hands, while their other hands were moved to touch each other. The elder Longbottoms didn't resist, but didn't really cooperate either. It was like they were just big dolls which could be moved into any position. Daphne started casting a spell to ease the treatment, as described in Snape's notes. As soon as she finished, both Harry and Hermione took the vials with the potion and spilled their contents into the mouths of the patients. Daphne cast spells on them, making them swallow the liquid.

Nothing seemed to happen for a while. Harry, Hermione and Daphne joined the Longbottoms in a group hug and the elder ones closed their eyes, yet there was no change visible. It took more than five minutes before something happened. The two patients started warming and their skin color changed from almost white to healthier pink. Their limbs started trembling and only the tight hug kept them sitting still. They then started moving their heads, eyes still closed. The movements were so frantic that Neville was frightened. He had never trusted Snape and he wondered why he ever agreed to try a treatment recommended by that man.

It didn't last long, though. Alice and Frank stopped their uncontrolled movements and opened their eyes. They first seemed to search for each other. Once their eyes found their mates, their hands tightened their hold before their eyes moved to Neville, who was still holding their other hands.

"Who are you?" Frank asked.

"You look familiar," Alice added.

Neville could hardly speak, but he knew he should not keep them waiting. "I'm Neville, your son," he said, his voice trembling.

"Neville is just a baby!" Alice said, sounding as if she was telling him something self explanatory. She then noticed her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"You are in the long-term ward in St. Mungos. You've been here for many years," Neville told them, not able to hold his tears any longer.

His father was also looking around with very alert eyes, seeming not to miss any detail. "You remind me of James Potter," he said, looking at Harry, "and you..." he looked at Daphne and shook his head, as if trying to remove some cobwebs, "I think your mother was at Ravenclaw."

He stopped, looking at his son, trying to find any familiar feature. "You look a bit like me. How long have we been here, you say?"

"About eighteen years, Dad. I've been about a year old when you arrived here."

"Then, who raised you?"

"Grandma, I mean – your mother, Lady Augusta."

Frank looked a bit shocked, yet a fleeting smile appeared on his face. "You grew up well, son."

Alice, who listened to this, could resist no longer. "My baby!" she cried, engulfing Neville with a hug.

The noise made some healers rush in. They looked extremely surprised at the scene in front of them. Alice and Frank, while not completely healed, looked lively and alert. The healers didn't dare interrupt the family reunion.

It took Neville some time to get reacquainted with his parents and he then introduced Harry, Hermione and Daphne, yet he didn't tell anything about the war. That could wait for some time. One of the healers was sent to bring Lady Augusta to meet her son.

Harry and the girls only stayed until the healers confirmed that the Longbottoms were well on their way to getting fully healed, although they would still need a few weeks of physical and psychological treatment to assure their full recovery. They felt that the initial days should be set for the family to heal its wounds before they could be reintroduced.

The Longbottoms were moved the same day into a private room where they could feel more comfortable and get introduced to the changes that had occurred since their arrival at the hospital. The healers also contacted Harry to learn about the revolutionary potion he had used. As Snape's notes indicated, he didn't agree to give the recipe yet. "It is an experimental potion and should be tried on some more patients before it could be released" he stated. He agreed to brew the potion as needed and supply it free of charge until it would be deemed safe.

There was another potion that he liked to check as well, one marked "For restoring memory loss". He already had a candidate for it – Glidroy Lockhart, who was also spending his time in the long term ward. This potion, being much simpler, he agreed to let the healers brew, as long as he or his representatives could attend the actual application of the potion.

Harry was present when Gildroy was given the potion for memory restoration. This one worked almost immediately, yet it caused some unexpected results. The patient, who seemed to suddenly remember everything in his past, only enjoyed his renewed memory for a few minutes before starting to sob uncontrollably. It took the healers almost two hours to calm him down without potions, not daring to give him another potion while this experimental one was still in his body.

Once he calmed down enough to be able to talk coherently, he was heard saying, "I was such an awful man. I can never repay for my crimes."

Harry didn't wait for the full confession. He only wondered if the potion also had the effect of reviving one's conscience.

Neville called a few days later. "My parents would like to meet you officially, along with Hermione and Daphne. They feel indebted to you, although I've told them it was Snape's recipe. I've already told them about the war, not going into details yet. They seem to understand that there's much more to it than I've told them."

"We'll come tomorrow, if it's alright. How's your gran doing?"

"Oh, she seems to have lost quite a few years of her age, looking much younger. She's happier than I've ever seen her and much more motherly. You'll see her as well when you come, as she spends most of her time with my parents."

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	28. Chapter 28 Harem

**28. Harem**

_December 1999_

The Patil twins, once they joined the family, didn't want to wait for their wedding to get pregnant. They were very eager to shag Harry soon after they arrived and got pregnant within a few weeks. Harry was busy at the time with Narcissa's approaching delivery and the other babies. None of the unmarried women considered it the right time for a wedding.

Now, with all babies growing strong and healthy and all the mothers fully recovered, it was time for keeping his promise. Harry consulted with his present and future wives. He also included Cho, although she had chosen to be a concubine.

"Which position will each of you want and when do you want our wedding to take place?"

"I feel closer to Hermione than to the others," Luna said. "I believe I'd like to be your Potter second wife." She then looked at the other women and smiled apologetically, "Sorry..."

Harry could feel Hermione's approval through the bond.

"I'm closer to Tracey, and we've both been sorted to Slytherin, so..." Daphne said.

"I think I'd like to join Narcissa as Lady Black. I feel better with someone more mature," Susan said. "No offense..." she added towards Narcissa.

"None taken," Narcissa told her, hugging her in a motherly fashion.

"So, what would you two like?" Harry asked the twins.

"Aren't you Lord Gryffindor as well?" Parvati asked.

Harry nodded.

"Then how about we two become the Gryffindor ladies?" she asked.

Harry looked around, noting the agreement of all women. "That's alright with me." He now turned to Cho. "Please reconsider your position. I feel it is unfair to let you stay a concubine while I marry all the other mothers of my children."

Cho was already nearing her seventh month. This didn't affect her face and not much her breasts, but she was certainly not slim with the huge pregnant belly.

"I didn't think it was unfair. My parents even thought it wise to keep the Chang businesses separate from the Potter-Black-Etc. Yet I find it unfair to leave Janice the only one with no sister-wife. I'll join her as Lady Ravenclaw, if you agree."

Harry liked the idea. It made a balanced distribution of two wives per each house of the five. Now he had to decide on dates.

"When would you like your weddings?" It was an open question to them all.

Padma answered. "I and my sister would like to marry you at the same time. We've also talked with the others, and it looks like we'd rather have one wedding for all of us. It would be much easier on those of us who are expecting and I think the mothers would also like it better, not having to spend too much time away from their babies."

"And it should be soon, or I won't be able to dance at my wedding," Cho added.

It wasn't quite easy to plan six weddings at once. Just coordinating all the parents was a nightmare. They eventually agreed to have two separate ceremonies two days apart.

Daphne, although only one of the three brides at the first wedding, had the most visitors, mainly due to the Greengrass connections within the magical community. Luna only had her father and a few distant family members to invite, and Susan had practically no family.

Harry made sure to let each bride choose her own wedding gown and feel as special as possible at her wedding. They were all wearing white, long gowns. Daphne's was low-cut, revealing the upper part of her breasts and most of her smooth back. It was embroidered with silver and gold threads with some diamonds accentuating her waist, and it made her look even more glamorous than usual. She caught the breath of many of the male guests.

Susan opted for a more conservative look. Her gown covered her from neck to toes, yet some translucent sections gave glimpses of her beautiful skin and a bit of cleavage. It was decorated with emeralds, just like Harry's eyes. Her dark red hair flowed down to her waist, giving her a fiery look. Harry thought she looked like an amazon. He liked that look.

Luna's gown looked the simplest. It was made of cream-white velvet with some gold trimmings designed to accentuate her petite proportions. A charmed upper section made her breasts look bigger, yet her jewelry attracted the most attention. She wore gold and diamonds earrings, shaped like radishes and her necklace, made of platinum and gold, looked like a series of bottle caps. Harry was sure these would become the "hottest" trend in fashion for the foreseeable future.

The Patil and Chang wedding was much larger, with hundreds of guests from the brides' sides and just a handful of Harry's friends. The three brides stood around the groom, as close as their bulging bellies allowed, while taking the vows. Harry's wives sat in the first raw, looking almost as excited as the brides.

They were all back at the manor, relaxing after the wedding.

"Don't you want a honeymoon?" Harry asked his new wives.

"We're all going to make each and every day count as our honeymoon," Luna told him.

He really hoped it would work that way. Yet he wondered how he could ever satisfy all these women who entered his life. Just keeping them all sated would become a major task, although quite a pleasant one at that. He also wanted to give Hermione special attention and let every one of his children feel loved and unique.

He was starting to panic as he was realizing the enormous task he had taken upon himself, when he felt a soothing presence in his mind. 'We can do it together. I'll help you be the husband and father you wish to be. Just trust me.'

Harry smiled now. He could do it. As long as he had Hermione at his side, nothing would be impossible, not even having ten gorgeous and sexy wives. Wasn't life wonderful?

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**A.N.** Here we've reached the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

There are more stories to come. **Harry's Love(s)** will come next (I intend to publish the first chapter today, along with this last chapter) and then there's a surprise coming to Harry and Hermione from Fleur. Both stories are already finished. I also hope to finish Witch Way soon, so I'll be free to concentrate on some other stories which I've already started writing.

As usual, _**Please Review!**_


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